Bernadette Spieler, Zurich University of Teacher Education

Abstract

There is a growing interest in teaching students programming to prepare them for the demands of our increasingly digital society. Computational thinking (CT) and programming are often referred to as the literacy of the 21st century. The consensus is growing that CT and programming are critical skills that everyone needs and are rapidly becoming a new domain of learning, on par with reading and mathematics. However, a critical approach to new technologies requires a general understanding of the logical and technical aspects behind them. So far, European school systems are mainly concerned with digital literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) as a supportive, context-free medium/technology to enhance learning. According to J. Wing, CT “represents a universally applicable attitude and skill set everyone, not just computer scientists, would be eager to learn and use.”. Under certain conditions, coding activities are one way to practice CT. In addition to coding, CT represents various techniques for solving complex problems. These include decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic design, as well as creativity or communication. These competencies can be applied across disciplines and integrated in different subjects. In response to the demand for more IT professionals and a future society that is digitally literate, we have seen changes in education internationally, including the introduction of new mandatory subjects and courses. For example, the “Lehrplan 21” in Switzerland or the “Digital Basic Education” in Austria. On the one hand, integrating a new subject requires flexibility, as teachers are confused not only about the structure of the content, but also about how to teach such new content or tools. On the other hand, there is a great heterogeneity not only among students but also among teachers, as many have to teach this knowledge without a required training. Another serious problem arises from the gender disparity in technology-related fields. In general, the percentage of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Because most teens acquire only “low-level” knowledge in CS during their school years, they often have misleading preconceptions about the basic ideas of CS and stereotype-based expectations. As a result, many teens exclude computer science from their career path and CS remains a major unknown. This presentation introduces different approaches to train CT (e.g., CS unplugged, Bebra’s Challenges, visual coding tools such as Pocket Code) to show the possibilities of CT-activities and how those can be integrated into school curricula as well as across disciplines.