Computational Thinking

CAS resources

• CAS-developed guidance for computational thinking
• Tenderfoot resources 
• Barefoot Computational Thinking resources http://barefootcas.org.uk/ 
• Developing computational thinking, from Teaching London Computing
• UK Bebras archives many accessible self-marking questions now available

Computational Thinking resources, overviews, and summaries

• Wolfram resources for computational thinking ; see also Stephen Wolfram's blog post on CT
• Interdisciplinary computational thinking, a collection of CT resources gathered by Paul Curzon, focusing on applications of CT in other subjects, such as biology, physics, English, maths, philosophy, and language.
• Thinking myself is an online computational thinking resource for students to work through.
• The CSTA (USA Computer Science Teachers Association) also has a page on Computational Thinking 
• Google's site Exploring Computational Thinking covers: *
  • What is Computational Thinking (CT)?
  • Relevant CPD guidance for Maths, ICT & CS teachers
  • A collection of lesson plans, reference sheets etc
  • A substantial structured pool of web resources
  • Discussion forums on "Exploring Computational Thinking"
  • and a short FAQ
• ISTE has a page on computational thinking, which includes an introductory video.
• Alan Bundy's page on computational thinking 
• Report of the USA National Research Council Workshop on the Scope and Nature of Computational Thinking (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12840) (2010)

Computational Thinking experience reports, papers, talks

See also Lenandlar Singh's CT bibliography. 

• [Nov 21] "The machine learning effect: Magic boxes and computational thinking 2.0". Jane Waite's Raspberry Pi blog post describes how we might want to re-think "computational thinking" in the light of AI/ML.  In particular, if we want to "get a computer to do something for us", we have traditionally thought of algorithms and computation, but now we also think of data and machine learning.  That's a big, mind-expanding shift! 

  The blog post cites "Computational Thinking 2.0" (Tedre, Denning, Toivonen, Koli Calling 2021), which suggests a way to update the "computational thinking" meme for the AI age.

• Rethinking computational thinking, Fred Martin blog post 2018. "CT is the “connecting tissue” between the world of computer science / programming expertise and the world of disciplinary knowledge ... To “do CT,” you need to know about both worlds. You need to know how to create solutions using computing. You need to know something about a domain in the world. And CT is the knowledge, skills set, and disposition of intermediating between these two".
• Remaining trouble spots with computational thinking, Peter Denning, CACM June 2017.
• Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms, Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M., Orton, K., Jona, K., Trouille, L., & Wilensky, U, Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(1), 127-147 (2016). Bruce Nightingale says "This literature review provides a thought provoking read on the various meanings attributed to ‘computational thinking’. An essential read for teachers".
• The long quest for computational thinking, Tedre and Denning, Proc 16th Koli Calling Conference on Computing Education Research, Nov 2016. 
• Yadav, A., Mayfield, C., Zhou, N., Hambrusch, S., & Korb, J. T. (2014). Computational thinking in elementary and secondary teacher education.  ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 14(1), 5.
• Computational thinking using Scratch: Developing fluency with computational concepts, practices, and perspectives, including an accompanying short assessment framework for CT, both from ScratchEd. 
• Sullivan, A., & Bers, M. U. (2016). Robotics in the early childhood classroom: learning outcomes from an 8-week robotics curriculum in pre-kindergarten through second grade.  International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 26(1), 3-20.
• Computational thinking: ten years on, Jeannette Wing, March 2016.
• Computational Thinking ACM Webinar Grady Booch, February, 2016 approx. 1hr
• Computational thinking: I do not think it means what you think it means, Lorena Barba, March 2015. "To me, as a computational scientist, the essence [of computational thinking] is what we can do while interacting with computers, as extensions of our mind, to create and discover. That s not the popular message today." 
• How one school district works computational thinking into every grade and class, Slate article about CT in South Fayette, a suburb of Pittsburgh, 2015
• Steve Easterbrook, From computational thinking to systems thinking, ICT4S 2014.
• R.Haddad; Y.Kalaani, 2015 Can Computational Thinking Predict Academic Performance? - presentation 
• Greg Michaelson, Teaching programming with computational and informational thinking, Gregh Michaelson, Journal of Pedagogic Development, Vol. 5, Issue 1, March 2015. Greg stresses informational thinking alongside computational thinking.
• Phil Bagge's blog post Computational thinking in primary education (2014)
• Miles Berry's article for Teach Primary (March 2014) on computational thinking in primary schools
• To code or not to code, that is the question, Grady Booch (famous software engineer), IEEE Software Oct 2014, with an accompanying IEEE Spotlight column. What must a functioning member of society know about computing? "I think we must be careful to not teach coding as just a vocational skill."..."Coding is important...but I think it's essential that we fundamentally teach the notion of computational thinking"..."For the intellectually curious, of whom most will never program a computer in anger, learning to code is a gateway to understanding how to think computationally and therefore be more effective in an increasingly computed society.".
• Shuchi Grover paper 'Systems of Assessments for Deeper Learning of Computational Thinking in K-12'  Draft paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, April 15 20, 2015.
• Harry Lewis quote, director of undergrad studies at Harvard: Harvard students are smart people. They have figured out that in pretty much every area of study, computational methods and computational thinking are going to be important to the future.
• Jeanette Wing's talk on computational thinking at the 2012 Microsoft Research Summit.
• Up and down the ladder of abstraction, an interactive essay by the thought-provoking Brett Victor.
• What is computational thinking? Who needs it? Why? How can it be learnt?, a talk by Aaron Sloman at the 2014 ALT Conference.
• Computational thinking in K-12: a review of the state of the field, Shuchi Grover, in Educational Researcher, 2013. A useful articulation of what computational thinking is, and links to articles about it.
• Aaron Sloman s thoughtful talk at the ALT conference 2012
• Valerie Barr and Chris Stephenson on Bringing Computational Thinking to K-12  - includes a useful table drawing parallels across multiple disciplines.
• Papers relating to the USA's CS Principles project
• Beyond Computational Thinking, Peter Denning, CACM June 2009
• Jeanette Wing's original article on computational thinking, her subsequent article Computational thinking: what and why? (which Simon PJ thinks is much more helpfully precise about what CT is), and a more academic treatment, Computational thinking and thinking about computing.
• Tom Crick's blogpost on Computational Thinking and Thinking About Computing 
• Karen Brennan (Harvard, ex-MIT) and Mitch Resnick (MIT) co-authored New frameworks for studying and assessing the development of computational thinking.
• Cynthia Selby and John Woollard review the developing definition of CT.
• Pat Phillips Computational Thinking: A problem solving tool for every classroom
• Computational thinking illustrated : some nice, creative commons licensed cartoons related to CT, together with notes.
• Voogt, J., Fisser., P. Good, J., Mishra, P., & Yadav, A. (2015). Computational thinking in compulsory education: Towards an agenda for research and practice. Education & Information Technologies (contained in the download) Computational Thinking is considered a universal competence, which should be added to every child s analytical ability as a vital ingredient of their school learning. In this article we further elaborate on what Computational Thinking is and present examples of what needs to be taught and how. First we position Computational Thinking in Papert's work with LOGO. We then discuss challenges in defining Computational Thinking and discuss the core and peripheral aspects of a definition. After that we offer examples of how Computational Thinking can be addressed in both formal and informal educational settings. In the conclusion and discussion section an agenda for research and practice is presented.
• Uri Wilensky Fostering Computational Literacy in Science Classrooms argues for integrating computational thinking with most school subjects.

School Textbooks Referring to Computational Thinking

• A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012). (Computational thinking is referred to throughout the text. Available as a free .pdf or access online)

Cross Curricula 'computational thinking'

• Weintrop, D., Beheshti, E., Horn, M., Orton, K., Jona, K., Trouille, L., & Wilensky, U. (2016). Defining Computational Thinking for Mathematics and Science Classrooms. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(1), 127-147. The reference list is a goldmine.
• Settle, A., Franke, B., Hansen, R., Spaltro, F., Jurisson, C., Rennert-May, C., & Wildeman, B. (2012, July). Infusing computational thinking into the middle-and high-school curriculum.  In Proceedings of the 17th ACM annual conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education (pp. 22-27). ACM.
• Israel, M., Pearson, J. N., Tapia, T., Wherfel, Q. M., & Reese, G. (2015). Supporting all learners in school-wide computational thinking: A cross-case qualitative analysis. Computers & Education, 82, 263-279.
• Papert, S. (1972) Teaching Children to be Mathematicians versus Teaching About Mathematics. International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 3, 249-262: > Psychologists sometimes react by saying, Oh you mean the transfer problem. But I do not mean anything analogous to experiments on whether students who were taught algebra last year automatically learn geometry more easily than students who spent last year doing gymnastics. I am asking whether one can identify and teach (or foster the growth of) something other than algebra or geometry, which, once learned, will make it easy to learn algebra and geometry. No doubt, this other thing (let s call it the MWOT) can only be taught by using particular topics as vehicles