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Integrating Computational Thinking in Humanistic Subjects in Higher Education

Learning, Design, and Technology

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Abstract

This chapter describes and discusses a study that has as its focus the theory-driven and collaborative design of interventions in higher education using a design-based research approach. The study investigates how to integrate computational thinking (CT) with computational things in the context of two case studies involving teachers and students from Media Studies and Philosophy. The theoretical framework consists of CT, computational things, situated and embodied cognition and learning, and design for learning. This framework has informed the preliminary general-substantive and general-procedural design principles that have guided the design of interventions. The interventions designed consist of computational things in the form of idea generation tools that support students in decomposing core models and provide students with tangible representations of abstract subject concepts. Furthermore, the tools require students to engage with algorithmic processes and compute with concepts. Results from the first iteration show there is potential in the tangible representations of abstractions and in the decomposition of core models. However, some students are unfamiliar with working at this level of decomposition and abandon algorithmic processing to engage in abstract discussion. Thus, the most promising potential is the computational thing as conversation tool and object to think with and secondarily the computational thing as idea generation tool.

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Acknowledgments

This work is part of the overall project Designing for situated computational thinking with computational things which is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. All opinions are the author’s and do not necessarily represent those of the funding agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Design and Communication and Center for Learning Computational Thinking, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Inger-Marie F. Christensen

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  1. Inger-Marie F. Christensen
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Correspondence to Inger-Marie F. Christensen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Info, Ste G150, Univ of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Michael J Spector

  2. School of Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Barbara B Lockee

  3. School of Education, Baker University, Overland Park, KS, USA

    Marcus D. Childress

Section Editor information

  1. Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Stephanie L. Moore Ph.D.

  2. Instructional Psychology and Technology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Heather Leary

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Christensen, IM.F. (2023). Integrating Computational Thinking in Humanistic Subjects in Higher Education. In: Spector, M.J., Lockee, B.B., Childress, M.D. (eds) Learning, Design, and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17727-4_180-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17727-4_180-2

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-17727-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-17727-4

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  1. Latest

    Integrating Computational Thinking in Humanistic Subjects in Higher Education
    Published:
    14 May 2023

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17727-4_180-2

  2. Original

    Integrating Computational Thinking in Humanistic Subjects in Higher Education
    Published:
    20 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17727-4_180-1

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