According to Black. C et al.(2009, cited in Mphaghegh and McCauley 2016), "Computational thinking is the skill of the 21st century." Some people may think that computational thinking is not as significant as we thought, however, Computational Thinking is a structure and analytical skill that is vital not only for technology but also for various fields and industries as the significant benefits associated with it are in terms of breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts and developing a systematic way to solve them (Mphaghegh and McCauley 2016). This introductory guide will demonstrate my understand by Computational Thinking, and why it is important within the context of the programme of study and current/future career.
First of all, the concept of computational thinking is much more complex than just in computer science and mathematics, but also in STEM (Li et al. 2020) and our daily life. Approaches for developing computational thinking skills are not always clear or feasible in diverse educational contexts beyond CS programming. It is kind of a logical thinking that can exercise our abilities to not just solve the problem but also management, such as time management and finance management.
The second element needs to be stated is the importance of Computational Thinking in programming study. Improving problem-solving skills provides a systematic approach to tackling academic challenges. At the same time, the key elements of Computational Thinking also can be used in career-- Breaking down a problem into smaller, more manageable subproblems can help in finding effective solutions (Decomposition); identifying similarities and commonalities within problems (Pattern Recognition); focusing on essential details while ignoring irrelevant ones (Abstraction); developing step-by-step instructions or algorithms to solve problems (Algorithmic Thinking); identifying and fixing errors in a process or solution (Debugging). Computational Thinking equips us with adaptable skills that can be applied to different industries and job roles.
1. Li, Y., Schoenfeld, A. H., diSessa, A. A., Graesser, A. C., Benson, L. C., English, L. D., & Duschl, R. A. 2020. Computational thinking is more about thinking than computing. Journal for STEM Education Research, 3, 1-18.
2. Mohaghegh, M., & McCauley, M. 2016. Computational Thinking: The Skill Set of the 21st Century. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technologies (IJCSIT), 7(3) ISSN: 0975-9646, pp.1524-1530.