Incorporating “Computational Thinking” into the Classroom

A special issue of Computers (ISSN 2073-431X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2016)

Special Issue Editors

Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Kelowna BC V1V 1V7, Canada
Interests: design thinking; constructionism; appropriate technologies; computational thinking
Elementary Education Math and Science, University of Alberta, Canada
Interests: action research in the classroom K to 8; connecting mind, spirt, body through time, space and reasoning; thinking as a spatial skill; STEAM; computational reasoning as a spatial act; teaching mathematical reasoning; design thinking in the classroom

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, educators are grappling with ways to integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEM/STEAM) into their classrooms. Computational thinking is typically defined as a problem-solving process that includes (but is not limited to) the following characteristics:

  • Formulating problems in a way that enables us to use a computer and other tools to help solve them.
  • Logically organizing and analyzing data
  • Representing data through abstractions such as models and simulations
  • Automating solutions through algorithmic thinking (a series of ordered steps)
  • Identifying, analyzing, and implementing possible solutions with the goal of achieving the most efficient and effective combination of steps and resources, and
  • Generalizing and transferring this problem solving process to a wide variety of problems (https://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/CompThinkingFlyer.pdf).

This special edition invites research informed articles illustrating ways in which Computational Thinking supports the integration of STEM/STEAM in K-12 classrooms. It invites explorations of design thinking, spatial reasoning and integrative thinking to support innovative classroom practices.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Susan Crichton
Geri Lorway
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Computers is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Design thinking
  • Computational thinking
  • Spatial reasoning
  • STEM and Design Integrative Thinking

Published Papers

There is no accepted submissions to this special issue at this moment.
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