Computing at school

Less computational thinking, more social design

The term computational thinking (CT) has been in academic discourse for decades, but gained new currency in 2006, when Jeanette Wing used it to describe a set of thinking skills that students in all fields may require in order to succeed in an age of rapid change.

Based on Wing’s assumptions, educational policy makers the world over now argue that CT should dominate the national curriculum.

There are many reasons why CT shouldn’t dominate the national curriculum but three stand out.

1. CT has a narrow academic focus similar to that of computer science.
2. CT’s deductive/inductive methods are already central to the national curriculum via mathematics and science.
3. The best computing ideas are fundamentally cross-discipline products of art, science, engineering and psychology.

Schools that define computing as an isolated discipline run the risk of becoming irrelevant in an age of Digital Darwinism.

If the current focus on CT is rolled out nationwide, computing in our schools will remain as it is now — a decade behind computing practice.

But if policy makers decide to reposition computing as cross-discipline with social design principles at its core, we could see genuine transformation.

Not only in terms of fostering the kinds of collaboration students need to solve complex problems, but also ensuring graduates guide us towards more productive and equitable futures.

Source: Brian Whitworth and Adnan Ahmad. Copyright: CC-Att-SA-3.