The computational thinking for science (CT-S) framework: operationalizing CT-S for K–12 science education researchers and educators

International Journal of STEM Education

Commentary

Ryan Montgomery¹  Rena Dorph¹  Sara Allan¹  Timothy Hurt¹  Melissa A. Collins¹  Eric Greenwald¹  Ari Krakowski¹  Lauren Brodsky¹  Matthew A. Cannady¹ 

[1] Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA;

关键词: Computational thinking;    Computational thinking for science;    Activity Theory;    K–12 science education;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40594-022-00391-7

 received in 2021-09-24, accepted in 2022-12-16,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Contemporary science is a field that is becoming increasingly computational. Today’s scientists not only leverage computational tools to conduct their investigations, they often must contribute to the design of the computational tools for their specific research. From a science education perspective, for students to learn authentic science practices, students must learn to use the tools of the trade. This necessity in science education has shaped recent K–12 science standards including the Next Generation Science Standards, which explicitly mention the use of computational tools and simulations. These standards, in particular, have gone further and mandated that computational thinking be taught and leveraged as a practice of science. While computational thinking is not a new term, its inclusion in K–12 science standards has led to confusion about what the term means in the context of science learning and to questions about how to differentiate computational thinking from other commonly taught cognitive skills in science like problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, and critical thinking. In this paper, we propose a definition of computational thinking for science (CT-S) and a framework for its operationalization in K–12 science education. We situate our definition and framework in Activity Theory, from the learning sciences, in order to position computational thinking as an input to and outcome of science learning that is mediated by computational tools.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

41116_2022_35_Article_IEq456.gif

41116_2022_35_Article_IEq454.gif

41116_2022_35_Article_IEq452.gif

41116_2022_35_Article_IEq450.gif

41116_2022_35_Article_IEq444.gif

Fig. 2