TEEM'16 - Track 1 Computational thinking in pre-university education Authors: Koen DePryck

1. From Coding
to Computational Thinking
and Back
Prof. Dr. Koen DEPRYCK
Dept of Educational Sciences
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
&
Superintendent of Education
school district Antwerp
TEEM ‘16
Salamanca, Spain. 2016 11 02

2. Down memory lane
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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3. Antwerp, BE
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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4. Helsinki, FI
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
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5. Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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6. Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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VoCore2 –
Open Source, Fully Customizable &
Wireless Linux Computer
“…. smaller than a coin. The applications of this
tiny computer are virtually endless;
use as a VPN gateway to secure your network,
an airplay music streaming station, a private cloud to
store your data, and much more.
• Write code for the VoCore 2 in C, Java, Python,
Ruby, JavaScript, & more to enhance its functions
• Plug in a microSD card to the Ultimate Dock &
create a personal cloud server
• Attach a USB webcam & create a home security
camera
• Link to a microphone to execute voice commands
like Apple Siri or Amazon Echo”

7. Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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8. Non-linear interaction
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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Research
PolicyPractice

9. TACCLE.eu (2008)
“Learning environments offer excellent opportunities for stimulating lifelong learning in both
compulsory and adult education. The creation of high quality content for (personal) learning
environments is essential for the successful use of e-learning. It is important to train teachers how to
create such content and this is the main aim of our project:
helping teachers in compulsory and adult education to develop
their own e-learning materials”.
• Handbook for subject teachers
• training courses across Europe
• selected by the European Commission as a “success story"
BUT…
- tools became outdated
- Teachers required examples ‘closer’ to their own field
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Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102

10. TACCLE2.eu (2011)
• 5 resource books
• Primary education
• STEM
• Arts, Culture & Humanities
• Technology
• Core Skills
1. Communication in the mother tongue
2. Communication in foreign languages
3. STEM competences
4. Digital competences
5. Learning to learn
6. Social and civic competences
7. Cultural awareness and expression
• Website: resources and community
• Training courses
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FREE
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102

11. TACCLE3.eu (2015)
“Many European countries are introducing computing as a core
curriculum subject. Some have already done so; others are intending
to. Inevitably the detail of the curricula will be different in each country
but there is a substantial overlap –
most of the curricula available so far include
• coding/programming,
• control technology and
• computational thinking
so we have started with these.”
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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COMPUTATIONAL
THINKING
CONTROL
TECHNO-
LOGY
CODING

12. Coding
• THEN: Learning to “program” in schools WAS often equated with
learning the vocabulary and syntax of programming.
“Getting the program to run correctly is the overarching objective of today’s
computer programming classroom” (Pea and Kurland 1984)
• TODAY: we use systems using visual blocks one can drag and drop to
write programs (eg. http://code.org)
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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13. From coding to computational thinking
Assumption: a “specific type of learning” takes place when young
people are engage in programming.
“Programming interactive media (for example Logo and Scratch) support the
development of computational thinking among young people”
Coding is arguably a setting for developing capacity for computational
thinking (Brennan & Resnick, 2012)
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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14. Computational thinking
“the thought process involved in formulating problems and their
solutions so that the solutions are represented in a form that can be
effectively carried out by an information-processing agent (e.g. a
computer)” (Cuny, Snyder and Wing, 2010)
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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15. Effects of computational thinking on the
learning (and working) environment
required metacognitive abilities :
- Connecting new information to former knowledge
- Deliberately selecting thinking/learning strategies
- Planning, monitoring and evaluating thinking/learning processes
- Breaking down complex actions into a conditional sequence (but
what about non-linear complexity?)
- …
Will computational competences contribute to enhancing those?
How do effect sizes compare?
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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16. [Research
• Students having programming experience scored higher on various
cognitive ability test (reflectivity, divergent thinking…. ) compared to
students with less or no such experience (Fessasis, Gouli & Mavroudi,
2012)
• Computational thinking focuses on the process of thinking and
learning, moving beyond “what are you learning” to “how are you
learning” (Brennan & Resnick, 2012)
• …]
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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17. Role of coding, control technology &
computational thinking in the curriculum…
• Long term investment in bridging skills gaps between societal (labour
market) demands and available competencies (content, skills…)
• Moving from literacy to active use
• Push for competences of teachers
• Positive mindset towards STEM
• …
• New programming environments lower the threshold
Shift from ‘coding’ to ‘logical map of the desired
functionality’ while generating real deliverables
(apps, robotics….)
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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18. GO! primary school 3hoek (Antwerp)
NEW: Toddlers integrating
• coding/programming,
• control technology and
• computational thinking
made the NEWS (making visible!)
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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19. Thank you…
Contact details
Prof.Dr. Koen DEPRYCK
Dept. of Educational Sciences
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
koen.depryck@vub.ac.be
Dr. Koen DEPRYCK - TEEM '16 -
Salamanca 20161102
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