Computational Thinking for Digital Culture Development: discussions based on a practical experience

Abstract

Computational Thinking has been understood as an essential ability in a society mediated by technology. However, literature in the field shows that initiatives for developing this ability rarely address challenging contexts audiences. In this paper, we draw on the notion of mental models to relate the concepts of Computational Thinking and Digital Culture. We claim that practicing basic skills when exploring simple prototypes favors people to build mental models that are useful to understand and use technologies. In a case study, we engaged adults in their initial stages of literacy in activities that evolved from basic ones with a low fidelity ATM prototype to complex ones with a functional prototype. We identified that participants used the experience and knowledge they obtained from previous activities to carry out the next ones, showing confidence and autonomy when exploring a functional prototype.