How is Computational Thinking Defined in Elementary Science?

Abstract

Computational thinking (CT) is a foundational skill of computer science that all elementary students should have equitable access to for learning and engaging in throughout their day. For the integration of CT into science instruction to be successful, teachers need to be able to communicate clearly what CT is and how it is defined through precise language. The intention of this poster is to explore the meaning of CT at the elementary level through a critical review of literature, analysis of standards, value-mapping across multiple stakeholders, analysis of written responses from elementary teachers on a CT survey, and deep discussions of a Design-Based Implementation Research Team (DBIR). The data collected and analyzed from these sources was combined to develop a definition of CT that would support implementation of CT for elementary teachers.