From Coding to Computational Thinking and Back

Presentation of Dr. Koen DePryck in the Computational Thinking Session in TEEM 2016 Conference, held in the University of Salamanca (Spain), Nov 2-4, 2016.

Introducing coding in the curriculum at an early age is considered a long-term investment in bridging the skills gap between the technology demands of the labour market and the availability of people to fill them. The keys to success include moving from mere literacy to active control – not only at the level of learners but also at the level of teachers. However, given the fast development of the field, one might wonder whether acquiring specific coding skills really is the essence of introducing coding early in the curriculum. We argue that the reach of ICT –including coding skills-- is much broader than STEM alone and a background in STEM is no longer a requirement for successful coding. The complex link between coding and computational thinking is the real critical success factor. We refer to TACCLE3 (an EU Erasmus+ project) as a successful approach to the implementation and valorisation of computational thinking across the curriculum.