What is computational thinking?

New tech announcements daily!

On the day I wrote this article, I heard radio reporting about the fabulous work being done between Minda Disability Care Services and Jackson Care Technology to support people with significant disabilities to live as independently, privately and safely as possible. Passive infrared monitors and movement detectors are being used to match individuals’ care plans and knowledge of their routines to their actual behaviour. Variations trigger staff support to ensure all is well.

Later on the same day I heard cover of agbots, ladybirds and other new farming robots that are dramatically changing the farming paradigm, transforming the agricultural sector and addressing massive labour shortages. Promising to be cleaner and greener, these little workers hold huge potential for our future food security; working at plant level to address weed resistance, soil care and paddock monitoring.

Then I read about the remarkable medical breakthrough in genetic sequencing that determined that the doctors were wrong and a 10 year old was re-diagnosed with a treatable genetic disease. And about the Swiss students who cracked the challenge of stairs for wheelchair users, and RMIT University researchers who have developed a talking drone that can converse with air traffic controllers, just like a normal pilot; the first step toward full integration of unmanned aircraft in civil airspace.

Rapid advancements in technology, dramatic decreases in unit prices and size and incredible creativity are contributing to breakthroughs in all aspects of our lives — health, medicine, environment, industry, agriculture, life style, and so much more.

In a global response, politicians are calling for students to develop coding skills; the function that sits behind these advancements and controls the technology.

China is introducing coding classes for kindergarteners, the UK has mandated coding instruction for 5 to 16 year olds and internationally there are movements to include coding in school curriculum.

Australia has introduced v8.0 of the Australian Curriculum with Digital Technologies explicitly included from 2016.

‘Teach coding’, a brilliant initiative … but, coding without computational thinking is like using a calculator without understanding mathematics. We are in danger of putting a tool in student’s hands without the skills and context they need to make the experience more than just a ‘fun activity’ that fills some time in their school day. We all know that teaching skills out of context has limited value!

So what is Computational thinking?

Computational thinking is a way of tackling open ended problems, or problems that don’t necessarily have an answer.

Computational thinking is, simply put, a problem solving process.

One that stretches our thinking beyond ‘what is’ to ‘what could be’. One that frames the use of coding, gives it context and makes thinking about our BIG problems ‘do-able’!

Many experts are seeing computational thinking as the 4th ‘R’ — pity there isn’t a ‘r’ in either word!

Cathy N. Davidson, a Duke University professor, thinks it should be reading, writing, arithmetic and algorithms. But we (and many others!) say: Reading, writing, arithmetic and computational thinking!

Computational thinking is what was applied to that list of challenges and subsequent technology initiatives, that I opened this post with.

We’ll have a chance to teach kids how to think about these issues so that they can use the power of digital innovation to solve them. They will need the skills to:

• draw conclusions based on data analysis, synthesis and representation (Like: agbots and farming needs, and genetic sequencing)
• decompose or break problems into parts (Like: wheelchairs climbing stairs)
• use abstraction or interpret patterns and models (Like: matching care plans and movements, working with air safety)
• design and implement algorithms (the bread and butter of interfacing with technology).

So where do teachers fit in?

Many educators are concerned about how they can teach and apply these skills in their classrooms. Most are unfamiliar or low in confidence about the introduction of digital technologies, let alone computational thinking.

It seems to help teachers to understand that computational thinking isn’t computer science or something just for computer scientists, technology teachers and nerds. It isn’t computer programming, or a programming language. It’s for everyone!

Computational thinking is a problem solving process and it can be taught. There are many opportunities to address the key components of computational thinking explicitly and across all learning areas, at all ages.

This is a great opportunity to shape our students’ futures!

Computational thinking brings the same logic that computers use, to solve ‘BIG’ problems and to thinking about the world. It can be applied across all disciplines and it may just be the difference that makes a difference in the future.