The Computational Thinking course provides many new concepts and ideas to help students get into the field quickly and efficiently. The course gives students a chance to realise the logic and thinking skills in computing.
First of all, the course introduces some basic concepts of programming. For example, the variables operators, attributes, properties and so on. These kinds of contents are not applied in one specific programming language. The knowledge is suitable for most of the programming languages in future teaching. At the same time, the course on Computational Thinking also talks about basic HTML and CSS skills. Students could absorb the knowledge of creating a simple webpage in HTML and decorating it with CSS. In other words, HTML is like the structure bone, and CSS is similar to its appearance. The flexbox and grid methods also leave a great impression. It is an excellent example to prove that different methods can achieve a target. The content of the number system and data representation was also inspired. Most people know that computers use the binary system to work, but accurate calculation can be learnt from this course, which is a brand new experience for students.
Moreover, the course requires a vital ability for self-learning. Students must finish the pre-recording video and put the information deep in their minds. Then use the knowledge in the next in-person session. Besides, group working is also needed and be practised in the course. For example, the group work that built the webpage of the University website in the course. Students need to communicate well and assign tasks to each person whom they probably do not know before in the group. The whole process improves students' ability to communicate, combine ideas, deal with conflicts of different opinions, do the assigned group work simultaneously in a short time and help each other (Burns, 2016). In addition, the course gives students opportunities to think of some computing problems and solve them in pseudocode. This is a beginner-friendly setting, and students do not need to know any natural programming languages but can still get in touch with fundamental computing problems.
This course established the foundation concepts and knowledge. As the course title, the content mainly trains what students should consider when they program and how they can adapt to the computer world. It gives students the very beginning orientation. It is like the foundation of the building. In the future, this course will let students know how to cope with issues and responses to different challenges by using their knowledge framework and thinking logic.
Reference
Burns, T. 2016. Essential study skills: the complete guide to success at university, 4th Edition. SAGE Publications, Los Angeles, United States.