Elementary Students’ Computational Thinking Practice in a Bridge Design and Building Challenge (Fundamental)

Authors

Dazhi Yang, Boise State UniversityFollow
Youngkyun Baek, Boise State UniversityFollow
Bhaskar Chittoori, Boise State UniversityFollow
William H. Stewart, Boise State University

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

6-15-2019

Abstract

The increased focus on computational thinking (CT) has grown in recent years for various reasons, such as a general concern about (a) a lack of global competitiveness among American students and general literacy in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields (Hsu & Cardella, 2013), (b) maintaining the economic competitiveness of the U.S. (Yadav, Hong, & Stephenson, 2016), and (c) preparing students adequately for a society that is increasingly technological (NRC, 2011). CT can help individuals analyze and understand multiple dimensions of a complex problem and identify and apply appropriate tools or techniques to address a complex problem (Wing, 2010). Furthermore, children can benefit from improved technological literacy, content knowledge, and problem-solving skills (Hsu & Cardella, 2013) while practicing CT.

Copyright Statement

© 2019, American Society for Engineering Education, Proceedings of ASEE Annual Conference, Tampa, FL.

Publication Information

Yang, Dazhi; Baek, Youngkyun; Chittoori, Bhaskar; and Stewart, William H.. (2019). "Elementary Students’ Computational Thinking Practice in a Bridge Design and Building Challenge (Fundamental)". 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 25504-1 - 25504-13.