ETYMOLOGY, GENESIS AND ESSENCE OF THE CONCEPT "COMPUTATIONAL THINKING"

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Keywords

computational thinking
algorithmic thinking
universal mental tool
computing
computational science
digitalization
digital intelligence
digital competence

How to Cite

[1]
T. V. Tykhonova and H. L. Koshkina, “ETYMOLOGY, GENESIS AND ESSENCE OF THE CONCEPT ‘COMPUTATIONAL THINKING’”, ITLT, vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 1–20, Sep. 2021, doi: 10.33407/itlt.v84i4.3720.

Abstract

Historical factors and preconditions for the emergence and development of “computational thinking”, such as: appearance and distribution of microprocessor computers to the general public; separation of computing disciplines and their transformation into self-sufficient ones; the evolution of ways of thinking and research on computer education; emergence and development of educational programming languages; the emergence of computational science are presented in this article. The periodization of the historical development of the concept of “computational thinking” and disciplines in the field of computing is also proposed. Algorithmic thinking was considered to be the forerunner of computational thinking and a "universal mental tool". The main idea of scientific research was that algorithmic thinking could "teach" the human brain to be a better problem solver in all fields of life. The concepts of "computing" and "computational science" are clarified. The etymology of the concept “computational thinking” is studied. Based on the analysis of foreign scientists’ publications, various approaches to the concept of "computational thinking" and its components are described. There is no clear-cut definition of computational thinking. The concepts of computational thinking are closely interconnected with the concepts of different sciences: computer, mathematical, engineering, pedagogical, psychological and others. Computational thinking should not be confused with algorithmic and/or mathematical thinking, computer literacy, or informational competence. The main difference between computational thinking and other types of thinking is the ability to present information in the form convinient for automation of information, that is necessary for efficient performance of repetitive tasks by computer systems. This emphasizes the relationship between computational thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In conclusion, computational thinking is a universal 21st century skill having a complex structure and necessary for solving various problems in the modern fast-growing digital world.

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References

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J. M. Wing, “Computational thinking’s influence on research and education for all”, Italian Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 7 – 14, 2017. doi: 10.17471/2499-4324/922. (in English)

P. J. Denning, “The profession of IT Beyond computational thinking”, Communications of the ACM, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 28 – 30, 2009. [Online]. Available: http://denninginstitute.com/pjd/PUBS/CACMcols/cacmJun09.pdf

D. Hemmendinger, “A plea for modesty”, ACM Inroads, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 4-7, 2010. doi: https://doi.org/10.1145/1805724.1805725 (in English)

S. Furber, “Shut down or restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools”, The Royal Society, London, UK, Tech. Rep. 207043, Jan. 2012. [Online]. Available: https://royalsociety.org/~/media/education/computing-in-schools/2012-01-12-computing-in-schools.pdf (in English)

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Y. Allsop, “Assessing computational thinking process using a multiple evaluation approach”, International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, vol. 19, pp. 30 – 55, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212868918300588# (in English)

C. Selby, and J. Woollard, “Refining an understanding of computational thinking”, University of Southampton, 2014. [Online]. Available: https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/372410/1/372410UnderstdCT.pdf (in English)

J. J. Lu, and G. H. L. Fletcher, “Thinking about computational thinking”, in Proc. 40th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, New York, USA, 2009, pp. 26 – 264. [Online]. Available: http://people.cs.vt.edu/~kafura/CS6604/Papers/Thinking-About-CT.pdf (in English)

G. Gadanidis, “Artificial intelligence, computational thinking, and mathematics education”, Int. J. Inf. Learn. Technol, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 133 – 139, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ce76/7defec3276b005146c80131ea5b6b9100bf2.pdf?_ga=2.41823138.1662174776.1564325700-763470621.1563814281 (in English)

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA). Operational Definition of Computational Thinking for K–12 Education. Supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CNS-1030054, 2011. [Online]. Available: http://www.iste.org/docs/ct-documents/computational-thinking-operational-definitionflyer.pdf (in English)

S. Grover, R. Pea, “Computational Thinking in K–12: A Review of the State of the Field”, Educational Researcher, vol. 42, pp. 38 – 43, 2013. doi:10.3102/0013189X12463051. (in English)

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