Let’s talk about computational thinking: why are we talking about it more and more often? What does it consist of?
Often associated with STEM disciplines, computational thinking is actually a skill related to understanding problems and formulating solutions in a way that is executable by others or by a machine. In fact, machines do not solve problems, they are programmed to solve them. In order to program them effectively, or to give instructions to someone who has to solve a problem, we ourselves must be able to solve problems and formulate strategies; this is a transversal skill, applicable in every field, not only in computer science.
Teachers play a key role in the development of computational thinking, which is recognised as one of the skills and competences that realise full citizenship. However, awareness of this competence is often insufficient and it often escapes notice how it can be applied across all disciplines. For this reason, teacher training programmes and curricula need to be reviewed.
One of the main aspects of teacher training is to enable a full understanding of computational thinking; another imperative need is to act on different educational levels, and train pre-school teachers as well as primary and secondary school teachers; third, it is necessary to facilitate interdisciplinarity and train teachers to identify computational thinking not only in STEM disciplines but also in humanities disciplines such as art and foreign languages.
The Future Teachers Education: Computational Thinking and STEAM (TeaEdu4CT) project is working in this direction and is developing 10 training modules to integrate computational thinking into university training for future teachers:
- M1 Framework for the development of the modules: CT&STEAM for future teacher education
- M2 General introduction of CT: a basic module suitable for all teachers
- M3 CT for pre-school (kindergarten) prospective teachers: specific features, approaches and practical solutions
- M4 CT for primary education prospective teachers: specific features, approaches and practical solutions
- M5 CT for STEM prospective teachers: specific features, approaches and practical solutions
- M6 CT for informatics (computing) prospective teachers: specific features, approaches and practical solutions
- M7 CT for language arts and humanities prospective teachers: specific features, approaches and practical solutions
- M8 Educational environments for CT: design and aspects of integration
- M9 Using Constructivism, and Project and Challenge Driven Pedagogy for learning CT
- M10 Technological, pedagogical and instructional design aspects of teaching CT for STEAM
In recent months, the project partners have developed the first versions of the modules, which have also been examined and evaluated by experts from outside the partnership. Despite the difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the partners are continuing their work by integrating the experiences brought by the need for remote working and distance learning into the design of the modules and pedagogical aspects. At the end of 2021, the partners will involve groups of 20-30 future teachers in local trainings to test the effectiveness of the modules and the acceptance among the target audience.
Are you training to become a teacher or are you a university teacher interested in proposing this training to a group of students?
Contact Alessia Valenti: alessia.valenti@cesie.org.
About the project
TeaEdu4CT – Future Teachers Education: Computational Thinking and STEAM is cofinanced by Erasmus + – Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC).
Partners
- Vilniaus Universitetas (Lithuania, coordinator)
- Turun Yliopisto (Finland)
- Kungliga Tekniska Hoegskolan (Sweden)
- Ankara Universitesi (Turkey)
- Tallinn University (Estonia)
- CESIE (Italy)
- Technische Universitaet Wien (Austria)
- Stichting Katholieke Universiteit (Netherlands)
- Universitaet Paderborn (Germany)
- Centre for Advancement of Research and Development in Educational Technology LTD CARDET (Cyprus)
For further information
Read more about TeaEdu4CT.
Contact Alessia Valenti: alessia.valenti@cesie.org.