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Computational thinking embedded in engineering design: capturing computational thinking of children in an informal engineering design activity

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Abstract

Just as engineering and computational thinking have recently gained increased attention in pre-college school-based education, many museums and science centers have also designed exhibits and experiences to promote computational thinking and engineering learning. Recent reports suggest that computational and engineering thinking can empower each other, and engineering design can be an appropriate context for children’s engagement in computational thinking. Previous studies have documented young children’s abilities to engage in engineering thinking and other studies have collected evidence of young children’s abilities to engage in computational thinking. However, there is little research that explores how children’s engagement in both engineering and computational thinking can support each other. Hence, in this qualitative case study, we aimed to examine how 5 to 7-year-old children engage in computational thinking competencies in the context of a family based engineering design activity. This activity was conducted at a small science center exhibit. In our presented findings we map children’s enactment of at least one CT competency to children’s engagement in engineering design actions.

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Funding

This study was funded by National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL- 1543175.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering Education, Purdue University, 701. W Stadium Avenue, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Hoda Ehsan & Monica E. Cardella

  2. School of Education, Indiana University, 201 N. Rose Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Abeera P. Rehmat

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  1. Hoda Ehsan
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  2. Abeera P. Rehmat
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  3. Monica E. Cardella
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Correspondence to Hoda Ehsan.

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Conflict of interest

First and second authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The third author, Dr. Cardella receives funding from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Cardella is a scientific advisor to the Board of Directors for Imagination Station, the science center where the study data was collected. Her husband is also the President of the Board of Directors (an unpaid position) for Imagination Station.

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“All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.” This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Ehsan, H., Rehmat, A.P. & Cardella, M.E. Computational thinking embedded in engineering design: capturing computational thinking of children in an informal engineering design activity. Int J Technol Des Educ 31, 441–464 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-020-09562-5

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