Context matters: Secondary science teachers' integration of process-based,unplugged computational thinking into science curriculum

There is growing recognition in the education community that the problem-solving practices that comprise computational thinking (CT) are a fundamental component of both life and work in the twenty-first century. Historically, opportunities to learn CT have been confined to computer science (CS) and elective courses that lack racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. To combat this inequity, a number of scholars have proposed integrating CT practices into core curriculum——especially science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum. Successfully achieving the goal of integrated CT, however, depends on frameworks to guide integration, professional development for teachers, exemplars of successful integrations, and identifications of the barriers teachers encounter. Research pertaining to each of these areas is in its infancy. This study addresses these needs through a collective case study of 10 secondary science teachers' implementations of a novel, process-based, unplugged approach to CT/science integration and the factors that supported or hindered their CT/science integration efforts. The results of this work reveal that: (1) an unplugged and process-based approach to CT/science integration shows promise as a vehicle for infusing CT into diverse science classrooms; (2) educators' teaching context exerts a strong influence on their CT-integration efforts and persistence; and (3) special attention is needed to support teachers in their CT/science integrations including algorithm creation. This study also demonstrates the utility of the Fraillon et al.'s CT framework as a guide for CT/science integration efforts and sheds light on the unique affordances of unplugged strategies for implementing CT-integrated science curricula.     

Learning natural selection through computational thinking: Unplugged design of algorithmic explanations

Computational thinking (CT) is a way of making sense of the natural world and problem solving with computer science concepts and skills. Although CT and science integrations have been called for in the literature, empirical investigations of such integrations are lacking. Prior work in natural selection education indicates students struggle to explain natural selection in different contexts and natural selection misconceptions are common. In this mixed methods study, secondary honors biology students learn natural selection through CT by engaging in the design of unplugged algorithmic explanations. Students learned CT principles and practices and applied them to learn and explain the natural selection process. Algorithmic explanations were used to scaffold transfer of natural selection knowledge across contexts through investigation of three organisms and the creation of generalized natural selection algorithms. Students' pre- and post-unit algorithmic explanations of natural selection were analyzed to answer the following research questions: (a) How do students' conceptions of natural selection change over the course of a CT focused unit? (b) What is the relationship between CT and natural selection in students' algorithmic explanations? (c) What are students' perspectives of learning natural selection with CT? Results indicate students' conceptions of natural selection increased and natural selection misconceptions decreased over the course of the unit. Within their post-unit algorithmic explanations, students used specific CT principles in conjunction with natural selection concepts to explain natural selection, which helped them to learn the details of the natural selection process and correct their natural selection misconceptions. Students indicated the use of CT in unplugged algorithmic explanations in different contexts helped them learn natural selection. This study shows unplugged CT can be used to teach students science content, and it provides an example for further CT and science integrations. Implications for the field are discussed.     

人工智能时代需要关注的新素养:计算思维

计算思维作为智能时代的产物不仅影响计算机科学的转型,也正逐步渗透到教育的方方面面。计算思维经历了萌芽、探索、发展三个阶段,通过对近十年国内外关于计算思维研究的梳理,借助CiteSpace软件进行聚类分析,结合内容分析等方法,发现计算思维的研究热点聚焦在理论研究、教学应用和教育评估三大维度,重心随发展阶段不断演变并且深化。结合国内外的经验,讨论了计算思维在内容设置、实施策略以及评价等方面对中小学教育的意义。对未来研究提出四点可能的发展方向:明晰计算思维的目标定位,聚焦问题解决;完善计算思维的内容组织,关注跨学科整合;明确计算思维的实施路径,培养创新型教师;厘清计算思维的评价导向,关注外显型测评。     

Programming video games and simulations in science education: exploring computational thinking through code analysis

Various aspects of computational thinking (CT) could be supported by educational contexts such as simulations and video-games construction. In this field study, potential differences in student motivation and learning were empirically examined through students’ code. For this purpose, we performed a teaching intervention that took place over five weeks, with two-hour sessions per week, plus two more weeks for the pretest and post-test projects. Students were taught programming concepts through a science project; one group represented the function of a basic electric circuit by creating a simulation, while the other group represented the same function by creating a video game in which a player should achieve a score in order to win. Video game construction resulted in projects with higher CT skills and more primitives, as measured through projects’ code analysis. Moreover, the video-game context seems to better motivate students for future engagement with computing activities.     

对西安市城镇高中生批判性思维的初步调查

This paper reports the development of critical thinking of urban high school students in the Chinese city of Xi’an. It presents the assessment of the students’ two components of critical thinking: dispositions towards critical thinking and critical thinking skills, using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Results show that the students’ dispositions toward critical thinking are at an average level while their critical thinking skills are very low. This research also shows that there is no significant difference between students from science classes and arts classes in their critical thinking dispositions while science students have a higher level of critical thinking skills. Students from advanced classes have a higher level of the two components of critical thinking than their counterparts from general classes. There are no differences between male students and female students in both components.      

中小学生估算意识及策略的调查研究

随着科学技术的进步,估算能力对每一位社会成员来说显得尤为重要,通过对三年级~八年级学生估算意识及策略的调查,发现学生对“估算”了解较少,估算意识与技能比较薄弱.主要体现在:(1)对“估算”这一概念的理解比较肤浅;(2)认为估算重要,但估算能力不强;(3)合理运用估算技能的意识较差;(4)估算经验较为有限;(5)估算策略具有多样性,与题型有关.     

Three constructs of institutional identity among international doctoral students in Australia

Postmodern institutional interactions in Australian universities, among students and staff, entail negotiation of identity, legitimacy, and ‘social capital’. For many international students, this happens in an additional language and culture, in English. The case study presented here profiles four international non-English speaking background Ph.D. students in an Australian university, observes their out-of classroom departmental interactions, and uses a sociocultural perspective of second language in use to map their approaches to the negotiation of institutional identity. Two focus group interviews with the participants illustrated how, despite similarities among the participants in the beginning as newcomers to a Western university, students chose different pathways for integration, engagement in institutional interactions, and identity construction. The discussions highlight the role of agency and intentionality in participation and learning through interaction which leads to a critique of the ‘international student' as a label that underplays student agency.     

浅谈小学问题学生情感教育

由于家庭因素和学校因素的影响,一部分小学生被贴上“问题学生”的标签,这严重影响了学生的身心发展和自我认识.采用情感教育的渗透,培养学生的自尊心自信心,可以让问题学生走出内心的困扰,重新树立正确的人生价值观.     

Professional primary school teacher identity development: a pursuit in line with an unexpressed image

The results presented in this article are taken from a case study of novice primary school mathematics teachers’ professional identity development from the perspective of the teachers themselves. The empirical material was collected through self-recordings, observations and interviews. The results show how the professional identity development of these novice teachers becomes a pursuit in line with their image of a primary school teacher. To develop a sense of themselves as primary school teachers they need to establish their own criteria - individual (including graduation and personal knowledge) and social (the ability to work in one school, have colleagues and have a class of their own for which they do the planning and teaching). These criteria are shown to be both a precondition for and a part of professional identity development. The novice teachers’ image of what it means to be a primary school teacher directs their actions and becomes the goal of their professional identity development. Because of its high impact, student and novice teachers’ image of primary school teachers ought to be made visible in both teacher education and teacher induction.     

首要教学原理在计算思维能力培养中的应用

计算机基础教学的核心任务是计算思维能力的培养,以计算思维能力培养为目标对计算机基础课程进行教学设计具有重要的意义.首要教学原理是指导教学设计的一种有效的方法,对首要教学原理在计算思维能力培养中的应用进行了探索,指出了非计算机专业计算思维能力培养的教学设计的相关要点.教学效果证明了教学设计的方法是有效的,能够提高学习者的计算思维能力和学习积极性.     

Pedagogic transformation,student-directed design and computational thinking

In a world where technology has become pervasive in our lives, the notion of IT integration in education practice is losing its significance. It is now more appropriate to discuss transforming pedagogy where technology is not considered a tool anymore but part of what we are. To advance this hypothesis, an enterprising, student-directed approach is proposed which embraces problem-solving as activity and computational thinking as knowledge development. In order to test its efficacy, a case study of students developing a 3D virtual space for international collaboration is used to exemplify the transformational pedagogy. From observations of the enactment of heutagogical characteristics and computational thinking, it is argued that we can now teach and learn “in” technology. This modality will come to dominate how technology operates “as” our lives, and become central to what it means to know and learn.     

Historical thinking about sources in the context of a standards-based curriculum: a Swedish case

The increased interest in basing teaching on disciplinary thinking has had a profound impact on the syllabus for history in Sweden. Within this context, we examine how students demonstrate one aspect of disciplinary thinking in history, namely reasoning about historical sources. The material used is written answers to an assignment about historical sources in the national test in history for year 6. The analysis shows that many students are able to show at least some aspects of disciplinary thinking about sources, though the vast majority has problems with contextualising the source in the assignment. One explanation put forth is that the syllabus is not yet fully enacted in teaching practices.     

计算思维培养之路还有多远? ——基于计算思维测评视角

随着人工智能时代人才竞争的加剧,K-12阶段计算思维的培养成为重要的抓手。其中,通过测评准确把握现阶段K-12实践开展情况可推动计算思维培养更具针对性。本文先从理论层面建构了包含培养内容、教学方式和测评方法三个维度的K-12计算思维培养框架;然后采用元分析法和内容分析法分析41个测评实践案例,揭示和讨论计算思维培养理论与实践之间的差距,展示未来可行的研究空间。分析结果表明,计算概念、计算实践、计算观念等计算思维培养内容在实践中都有体现,编程教学、跨学科课堂和独立学科三类教学形式也有一定的实践基础,题目测试法、编程测试法、作品分析法、调查法、图文分析法和观察访谈法等六种测评方式得到了使用和发展;但实践中仍存在培养内容不全面、教学形式相对单一以及多元评价意识不足等问题。文章最后提出全面掌握计算思维内容体系,关注空白研究维度,增加对非认知层面的关注,注重指标间的内部关联;尝试计算科学和编程教育范畴外的课程载体,增强个体发展的比重;研究各种测评方法的综合应用,加强对形成性评价的关注,以全面展现计算思维的发展。     

基于计算机思维能力培养的程序设计课程教学改革

针对当前普通高校程序设计课程教学存在的问题,提出了基于计算思维的课程教学改革方案,树立以计算思维为核心的教学理念,并就基于计算思维的课程教学计划、教学内容设计、教学方法改革等方面进行了探讨。     

汉、傣、哈尼、基诺学生性格发展比较研究

采用《中小学生12种性格因素量表》对云南西双版纳州汉族、傣族、哈尼族和基诺族623名中小学生进行调查研究,结果发现:(1)版纳学生部分性格因素得分与全国常模有一定差异;(2)性格因素总体上随年级的上升而发展;(3)不同民族学生性格的发展既有同步性也有非同步性;(4)少数民族学生性格发展存在显著性别差异。     

计算思维对中小学信息技术课程的影响初探

阐述计算思维的基本概念,提出学习计算思维的重要性。通过分析计算思维与信息技术的关系,进一步阐述计算思维具备目前作为中小学信息技术课程培养目标的信息素养所不具备的价值,提出在中小学开展计算思维教育对信息技术课程可能产生的有益影响。     

高中信息技术课程教学中计算思维的培养

计算思维是未来社会每个人应该具有的基本能为之一,因此,如何在高中信息技术课堂中培养学生的计算思维能力就显得尤为重要。文章从高中信息技术课程开展现状出发,对高中信息技术课堂中如何培养计算思维的几个方面展开了分析。