Teaching Computational Thinking: are we considering students' socio-cultural context?

INTRODUCTION: Research to promote Computational Thinking (CT) has become frequent and carried out with the most different characteristics. Educational researchers argue that learning research needs to consider aspects of students' sociocultural context, regardless of what tools are used and how content is worked. However, it is not known if, and to what extent, these aspects are being considered in research to promote CT. OBJECTIVE: This research investigates whether the literature on initiatives to teach CT is recognizing and exploring aspects of students' sociocultural context and, mainly, how this is occurring. METHOD:A systematic review of the literature covering a decade (2007-2017) of articles published in the main vehicles of Computer Science in Education and Computer Science, considering the national and international scenario. RESULTS: The data indicate the students' sociocultural context is not being considered in the activities, although there is evidence that the scenario may be beginning to change. CONCLUSION: The results show that there is a growing concern and an evident effort by researchers to bring relevant elements of students' lives into the conducted practices. However, although it is possible to identify aspects of students' sociocultural context being considered by the mapped researches, it is still necessary to advance in terms of the rigor of the characterization of these aspects and the theoretical basis of the research

Reflecting on Computational Thinking Studies for High School Education

Berpikir komputasional telah diakui sebagai suatu kebutuhan dalam menyelesaikan masalah yang kompleks. Beberapa penelitian telah dilakukan untuk memperkenalkan keterampilan ini ke semua tingkat pendidikan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meninjau penelitian tentang berpikir komputasi pada tingkat sekolah menengah. Khususnya, penelitian ini mengkaji domain penelitian, mengidentifikasi metode-metode untuk memperkenalkan berpikir komputasional, serta konsep-konsep berpikir komputasional yang diajarkan kepada pelajar. Tinjauan literatur sistematik dilakukan untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: penelitian berpikir komputasional mencakup kajian teori, pengembangan kurikulum, pengukuran, dan pengembangan alat. Kajian teori ditujukan untuk memformulasikan konsep. Selain keterampilan teknis, soft-skills telah dinyatakan sebagai elemen berpikir komputasional. Namun, perhatian untuk melibatkan soft-skills dalam penelitian masih kurang. Sebagian besar penelitian difokuskan pada integrasi berpikir komptasional ke dalam kurikulum. Coding menjadi metode yang paling banyak digunakan untuk mengajarkan berpikir komputasional. Sehingga, algorithmic thinking dan abstraction muncul sebagai keterampilan yang paling sering diajarkan atau diukur. Akhirnya, penelitian ini menggarisbawahi adanya kesenjangan untuk dikaji lebih lanjut yaitu berkaitan dengan pengukuran keterampilan berpikir komputasional dan untuk menyertakan soft-skills pada penelitian berpikir komputasional.   Kata Kunci—Berpikir komputasional, Sekolah menengah, Penyelesaian masala

Pensamento computacional e educação de jovens e adultos : na direção de um modelo socialmente consciente

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Roberto PereiraDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Exatas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Informática. Defesa : Curitiba, 02/07/2019Inclui referências: p. 93-96Área de concentração: Ciência da ComputaçãoResumo: Diversas pesquisas estão sendo conduzidas no Brasil para ensinar Pensamento Computacional, sendo a maioria para o público da Educação Básica. Em um mapeamento sistemático da literatura, a única pesquisa identificada fora deste público-alvo foi realizada em 2016 e envolveu alunos da Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA). Sabe-se que adultos possuem histórias de vida, experiências, responsabilidades que demandam maneiras diferentes de ensinar. Entretanto, não foi identificada na literatura uma forma de promover o Pensamento Computacional de maneira que considere as características do público da EJA de forma situada. Entendendo Pensamento Computacional como uma forma de promover a formação de uma cultura digital, e de favorecer a inclusão e a autonomia, esta pesquisa de Mestrado investigou e propôs um modelo para conceber e conduzir iniciativas de Pensamento Computacional para o público da EJA, de maneira sensível ao contexto, que entenda e respeite as características e particularidades desse público. O modelo proposto é inspirado pelo Design Socialmente Consciente e tem como objetivo apoiar o planejamento e condução de iniciativas para promover o desenvolvimento do Pensamento Computacional com alunos da EJA, contemplando os princípios: Socioculturalmente Contextualizado, Útil, Relevante & Adequado, Participativo, Universal, Autocontido, Diferenciado & Convidativo, Transdisciplinar e Progressivo. Esta pesquisa de Mestrado investigou, propôs, experimentou e documentou o modelo e seus resultados, obtidos por meio de um estudo de caso exploratório em contexto real. O estudo de caso foi conduzido na Escola Municipal Rachel Mader Gonçalves, em Curitiba/PR, onde 8 workshops foram realizados em parceria com a escola para reduzir as barreiras no entendimento, contato e uso de tecnologias de informação de comunicação. Os resultados forneceram indícios de que o modelo é promissor parar apoiar o entendimento e a condução de ações para promover Pensamento Computacional de modo que façam sentido para o público-alvo. Como contribuições adicionais, diferentes atividades para trabalho com os alunos foram concebidas ou adaptadas e podem ser aplicadas em outros contextos. Palavras-chave: Pensamento Computacional, Educação de Jovens e Adultos, Design Socialmente Consciente.Abstract: Most of research conducted in Brazil to teach Computational Thinking have focused on primary, middle and high school students. In a systematic mapping of the literature, the only research carried out with a different audience was published in 2016 focusing on students from Youth and Adult Education. Adults have many life stories, experiences, responsibilities, requiring different teaching methods. However, from the mapping, no model was identified to consider the specific characteristics of Youth and Adult Education in the teaching of Computational Thinking. Comprehending Computational Thinking as a way to promote the formation of a digital culture, and to promote inclusion and autonomy, this Master's research investigated and proposed a model to design and conduct computational Thinking initiatives for the public of the EJA, in a sensible manner to the context, that understands and respects the characteristics and particularities of this public. The proposed model was inspired by Socially Aware Design and aims to support the planning and development of initiatives to promote Computational Thinking for the referred students, having as principles: Culturally Contextualized, Useful, Relevant & Adequate, Participatory, Universal, Self-Contained, Differentiated & Inviting, Transdisciplinary, and Progressive. This Master's research investigated, proposed, experimented and documented the model and its results obtained through a exploratory case study in a real context. The case study was conducted at Rachel Mader Gonçalves School, in Curitiba/PR, and had 8 workshops. Results from the case study suggested the model as promising to support the understanding and actions to promote Computational Thinking in a way that makes sense to the target audience. As additional contributions, different practical activities were designed or adapted and can be used in different scenarios. Keywords: Computational Thinking, Youth and Adults Education, Socially Aware Design