Computational Thinking Education in the Asian Pacific Region
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EDITORIAL
Computational Thinking Education in the Asian Pacific Region Hyo-Jeong So1 • Morris Siu-Yung Jong2 • Chen-Chung Liu3
Ó De La Salle University 2019
Abstract The importance of computational thinking (CT) education in the twenty-first century cannot be understated, as digital computing technologies have become an essential component of practically all human activities. Due to their strength in the ICT industry, countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China have launched national curricular reforms to address the current movement of CT education in K-12 education. This special issue, therefore, intends to provide insights into the current curricular reform movement of CT education in the Asian Pacific region. It includes six papers presenting studies which expose the recent evidence-driven research and development of CT education. The findings of the studies shed light on the future policy and implementation of CT education in the Asian Pacific region. Integrating CT into formal education involves far more than learning and teaching of computational concepts and coding skills. We hope that this special issue provides better understandings of the current status of CT education in the Asia-Pacific region and the challenges faced by teachers, school administrators, and policy makers as well as other key stakeholders in the education community.
& Chen-Chung Liu [email protected] 1
Department of Educational Technology, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
2
Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
3
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Graduate Institute of Network Learning Technology, National Central University, Jhongli City, Taiwan (ROC)
Keywords Computational thinking Coding Asian Pacific region
Introduction The term ‘‘computational thinking’’ (CT) is first mentioned by Wing (2006). According to Wing’s definition, CT involves ‘‘solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behaviors, by drawing on the concepts fundamental to computer science’’ (p. 33). From such a perspective, CT is more than just coding. It represents a more than a skill to be able to program, but also the skills to process information and the attitude that computer scientists generally hold to solve problems. More specifically, CT involves several imperative thinking skills including abstraction and decomposition, thinking recursively, problem reduction and transformation, error prevention and protection, and heuristic reasoning which are needed to solve universal complex problems, not limited to software problems. Therefore, CT represents a universal skill set that everyone from different disciplines, not only computer scientists, should learn. The importance of CT education in the twenty-first century cannot be understated, as digital computing technologies have become an essential component of practically all human activities. National security, economics, public health, and safety, for example, are key areas that currentl
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