Computational Thinking
and Problem-Solving
for Today’s Students
Deborah Boisvert
Pierre Thiry
Jennifer Werner
Chuck Winer
July 13, 2017
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Broadening Advanced Technological
Education Connections (BATEC)
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Overarching Goals
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Define, extend and strengthen computing pathways and career
opportunities for the 21st century IT professional.
Facilitate and leverage strategic partnerships to build awareness,
generate interest, and support learning opportunities in ethnically
diverse urban areas of Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas and San
Francisco.
Conduct actionable research to inform policy makers, IT educators
and workforce development agencies.
Participate in and lead the national discussion on the subject of
integrated curriculum and applied IT.
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Our Test Bed
San
Francisco
(MPICT)
Chicago
Las Vegas/Reno
July 13, 2017
Boston
Lowell
Haverhill/Lawrence
Fall River/New Bedford
Framingham
Worcester
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CPATH
•
Development of student competencies in computing
concepts, methods, technologies and tools - referred
to as computational thinking
•
Approaches that promise to revitalize undergraduate
education
•
Became part of Computing Education for the 21st
Century (CE21) program which aims to build a
computationally savvy 21st century workforce that
positions the US to demonstrate a leadership role in
the global economy.
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Advancing the Successful IT Student through
Enhanced Computational Thinking (ASSECT)
Project Team
Deborah Boisvert, UMASS Boston
Robert Cohen, Wellesley High School
Kammy Sanghera, George Mason University
Joyce LaTulippe, Bunker Hill and UMASS Boston
Paula Velluto, Bunker Hill Community College
Paula Worthington, Northern Virginia Community College
Charles Winer, Purdue University
Jennifer Werner, Purdue University/Community Healthcare System
Gina Rue, Ivy Tech Community College
Pierre Thiry, City College of San Francisco
Mohammed Javed, Cameron University
Peter Saflund, The Saflund Institute
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ASSECT Vision
Build a community of practitioners from California,
Indiana, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Virginia who
are actively working to create and disseminate
nationally replicable models of Computational
Thinking in IT education.
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ASSECT Goals
•Description
•Outcomes
Computational
Thinking
•Description
•Outcomes
Intro IT
•Description
•Outcomes
Problem Solving
Goal 1: Develop a research-based computational thinking framework integrated
with the ACM IT Volume.
Goal 2: Pilot and implement authentic scenarios that provide opportunities to
learn, demonstrate and assess computational thinking skills that advance from
lower to upper division IT classes
Goal 3: Provide professional development for faculty in effective pedagogical
approaches and assessment techniques
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Competency
Models
CareerOneStop.org; Employment and Training Administration;
U.S. Department of Labor
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Computational Thinking in CS
(Jeannette Wing)
• Conceptualizing, not programming
• Fundamental, not rote skill
• A way that humans, not computers think
• Complements and combines mathematical and engineering thinking
• Ideas, not artifacts
• For everyone, everywhere
• Thinking Recursively
• Thinking Abstractly
• Thinking Ahead
• Thinking Algorithmically
• Thinking Logically
• Thinking Concurrently
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Computational Thinking in IT
Thinking
Recursively
Thinking
Abstractly
Thinking
Ahead
Process refinement
with the goal of
improving quality
or precision.
Ability to find
Ability to anticipate
appropriate level of and evaluate
detail to define and potential outcomes
solve a problem
Thinking
Procedurally
Thinking
Logically
Thinking
Concurrently
Ability to select and
execute
appropriate steps
to solve a problem
Creatively develop,
select and test
relevant
hypotheses
Ability to analyze
processes for
optimal efficiency
and use of
resources
Advocate:
champion, represent,
sponsor, promote
Select:
evaluate, identify,
choose, focus
Create:
generate, develop,
design, conceive
Apply:
Install, adapt,
implement configure
execute
Integrate:
synthesize, connect,
assimilate, organize
Administer:
manage, monitor,
resolve, decide
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Computational Thinking in IT
Criteria
Definition
Measures
Logical Thinking
Creatively develop, select and test
relevant hypotheses
Asks probing questions to uncover details of the problem
Clearly defines the problem
Defines clear success criteria for the project including measurable objectives
Strategizing
Ability to anticipate and evaluate
potential outcomes
Anticipates and evaluates the effects of various design options
Makes design decisions based on rational criteria
Abstract Thinking
Ability to find appropriate level of
detail to define and solve a problem
Decomposes a problem into component parts
Understands the relationships between components
Procedural Thinking
Ability to select and execute
appropriate steps to solve a problem
Identifies the steps required to solve a problem
Identifies the sequence of steps including possible decisions and branching
Identifies normal and exceptional behavior of a solution
Optimizing
Ability to analyze processes for
optimal efficiency and use of
resources
Understands available resources
Develops a solution that uses only available resources
Measures and adapts the solution to optimize resource utilization
Iterative Refinement
Process refinement with the goal of
improving quality or precision.
Measures and evaluates solutions against the success criteria
Adjusts the design and implementation as needed
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CPATH ASSECT Scenarios
http://69.195.124.111/~batecorg/?page_id=497
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City College of San Francisco - Pierre Thiry
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Course: CNIT 106 Intro to Networks
Five cohorts: F10, Sp11, F11, Sp12, F12
Pretest: the three light bulbs
Four to five week scenario: Securing PCs in the lab
https://sites.google.com/site/assectsbl/
Posttest: four people on a rickety bridge
Assessment: 18 questions survey assessing the
measures created by the matrix CT in IT
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Workshops in Computational Thinking via
Scenario Based Learning (CT/SBL)
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CPATH/ASSECT Developed Workshops
https://sites.google.com/site/workshopctandsblr
esourcesite/sharing-our-research-experience
https://sites.google.com/site/assectworkshop/ho
me
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Apply Computational Thinking
Share Expertise
Successful Experiences
Model for Success
Partners in Learning
Student Self
Assessment
NSF CPATH ASSECT Grant
Student
Think Aloud
Quadrature
Model of
Authentic
Assessment
Teacher
Assessment
of Student
Observer
Assessment
of Student
04/04/2012
Presented By: Chuck Winer, Professor/Head
CITG Department Purdue
July 13,Calumet
2017
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How We Do It (CT/SBL)
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https://sites.google.com/siteworkshopctandsb
lresourcesite/home
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Scenarios
Computational Thinking via Scenario Based Learning (CT/SBL)
Real-Life Results from Indiana Teacher Workshops
https://sites.google.com/a/hammondacademy.org/middleages-project/home
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Success Includes Asking Questions
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Questions ???
Comments
Observations
06/01/2012
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