A table referencing work related to the developing concept of “computational thinking”

Phillips, Denise

Woollard, John

Southampton (e-Prints Soton)

The	  developing	  concept	  of	  “computational	  thinking”	  Phillips,	  Denise,	  Townhill	  Park	  Junior	  School,	  Southampton,	  UK	  	  John	  Woollard,	  Southampton	  Education	  School,	  University	  of	  Southampton,	  UK*	  corresponding	  author	  J.Woollard@southampton.ac.uk	  	  To	   help	   develop	   a	   theoretical	   model	   for	   this	   study	   and	   promote	   a	   greater	   understanding	   and	  appreciation	  of	   the	  nature	  of	   computation	  and	   the	  value	  of	   the	  ongoing	  quest	   for	   a	  definition	  a	  brief	  outline	  of	  the	  changing	  views	  and	  ideas	  of	  computational	  thinking	  are	  shown	  below	  (Table	  1).	  	  	  Decade	   Significant	  ideas	  on	  computation	  and	  computational	  thinking	   	   Rationale	  	  Influences	  	  and	  	  Discipline	  1930’s	  Gödel,	  K.	  (1934)	  suggested	  Computational	  Thinking	  was	  the	  evaluation	  of	  recursive	  functions.	  	  Turing,	  A.	  (1937)	  Described	  a	  sequence	  of	  states	  of	  an	  abstract	  machine	  with	  a	  control	  unit	  and	  a	  tape.	  He	  suggested	  they	  were	  functions	  that	  could	  be	  evaluated	  by	  algorithms	  in	  their	  system.	  	   Computation	  was	  the	  mechanical	  steps	  followed	  to	  evaluate	  ‘mathematical’	  functions.	  	  Computers	  were	  people	  doing	  ‘mathematical’	  computations	  –	  people	  employed	  to	  run	  calculators	  doing	  calculations	  to	  support	  war	  efforts.	  	  First	  digital	  computers	  were	  emerging.	  1960’s	  Computer	  Science	  curriculum	  at	  University	  and	  Computation	  defined	  as	  information	  processes	  generated	  by	  algorithms	  –	  Three	  strands:	  •   Information	  structures	  and	  processes	  •   Information	  processing	  •   Methodologies	  	  ‘The	  paradigm	  of	  computing	  was	  based	  on	  the	  algorithm	  (the	  ‘recipe’	  whereby	  the	  machine	  could	  be	  made	  to	  do	  something	  useful.)	  (Beardon,	  2006:1)	  	  	  	  Pfeiffer	  (1962)	  Considered	  computers	  as	  thinking	  aids	  and	  forcing	  users	  to	  think	  through	  their	  problems	  along	  different	  lines.	  Began	  idea	  that	  computers	  will	  accelerate	  the	  rate	  at	  which	  we	  ourselves	  learn,	  just	  by	  being	  around.	  	  Perlis	  (1962)	  advocated	  all	  college	  students,	  regardless	  of	  subject	  should	  learn	  programming.	  	  Spoke	  of	  a	  theory	  of	  computation.	  	   Shift	  in	  understanding	  computation	  –	  now	  connected	  to	  activities	  in	  and	  around	  the	  computer,	  rather	  than	  as	  the	  algorithmic	  nature	  of	  the	  information	  process.	  	  	  Emphasis	  was	  on	  writing	  efficient	  and	  accurate	  procedures	  for	  machines.	  Phrase	  ‘algorithmic	  thinking’	  used	  to	  describe	  how	  computer	  scientists’	  thought	  processes	  were	  different	  to	  other	  scientists.	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  Although	  considered	  as	  thinking	  skills	  specific	  to	  computer	  science,	  notion	  of	  them	  being	  beneficial	  to	  other	  disciplines	  was	  emerging.	  1970’s	  Algorithms	  distinguished	  from	  computation	  Dijkstra	  (1968)	  –suggested	  that:	  Algorithm	  was	  a	  static	  description	  Computation	  was	  a	  dynamic	  state	  sequence	  evoked	  from	  a	  machine	  by	  an	  algorithm	  –	  it	  was	  the	  actual	  work.	  	  	   Interest	  in	  computation	  outside	  of	  mathematics	  and	  computer	  science.	  	  	  Emphasis	  on	  data	  processing-­‐‑	  due	  to	  need	  for	  processing	  vast	  quantities	  of	  repetitive	  data.	  E.g.	  payrolls	  production.	  	  Structured	  Programming	  movement	  launched.	  	  1980’s	  	  Early	  	  	  Mid	  –late	  	  Arden	  (1983)	  –	  tied	  definition	  of	  computation	  to	  a	  concern	  for	  automation	  (algorithmic	  thinking)	  	  Papert	  (1980’s)	  Introduced	  computers	  and	  programming	  to	  schools	  as	  a	  vehicle	  for	  problem	  solving	  skills	  and	  discovery.	  	   Computation	  now	  connected	  to	  actions	  of	  machines	  	  	  	  Programming	  and	  	  computers	  introduced	  to	  schools	  	  Computational	  thinking	  –	  new	  way	  of	  doing	  Science	  Linked	  to	  way	  of	  thinking	  and	  problem	  solving	  –	  Practice	  of	  discovery	  and	  way	  of	  thinking.	  	   Supercomputers	  main	  tools	  of	  Computer	  scientists.	  Some	  acceptance	  that	  computation	  was	  more	  than	  machine	  activity.	  	  1990’s	  	  Computation	  seen	  as	  natural	  process	  –	  challenging	  definitions	  which	  tied	  it	  to	  Computer	  Science.	  ‘Theories	  of	  everything’	  Mitchell	  (	  1995)	  	   Study	  of	  information	  processes	  –	  natural	  and	  artificial.	  Idea	  that	  all	  systems	  processing	  information	  must	  be	  governed	  by	  specific	  rules.	  2000-­‐‑	  	  Debate	  on	  CT	  -­‐‑	  idea	  of	  CT:	  New	  problem	  solving	  strategies	  and	  ability	  to	  test	  notions	  in	  real	  and	  virtual	  world	  and	  allows	  people	  and	  computers	  to	  work	  together	  to	  solve	  problem.	  	  	  Not	  about	  thinking	  like	  a	  computer.	  (Wing	  2006)	  	  Bundy	  (2007)	  Computational	  thinking	  is	  pervasive	  	  Denning	  (2009)	  Computational	  thinking	  –	  one	  of	  the	  Great	  Principles	  of	  Computer	  Science	  –over-­‐‑stating	  Computational	  thinking	  would	  damage	  discipline	  of	  Computer	  Science.	  	  2009	  –	  ICT	  reviewed	  and	  considered	  weak	  in	  schools	  and	  university	  level	  2011	  –	  Computational	  Thinking	  is	  essential	  as	  foundation	  to	  programming.	  	   Notion	  that	  computer	  allows	  users	  to	  think	  in	  different	  ways.	  	  	  	  	  	  Debate	  begun:	  CT	  is	  essential	  for	  learning	  and	  a	  set	  of	  problem	  solving/thinking	  skills	  that	  were	  transferable	  to	  other	  disciplines.	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  ‘v’	  Computer	  Science	  Specific	  -­‐‑	  	  One	  principle	  of	  computer	  science.	  	  Computer	  Science	  regarded	  as	  subject	  to	  be	  introduced	  at	  school	  level	  –	  Computational	  thinking	  core	  of	  the	  subject	  at	  levels	  1	  –	  3	  (UK)	  Table	  1:	  Changing	  ideas	  of	  computation	  and	  computational	  thinking.	  	  	  

The developing concept of “computational thinking”.

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