To provide practice and assessment of computational thinking, we need specific problems students can solve. There are many such problems, but they are hard to find. Learning environments and assessments often use only specific types of problems and thus do not cover computational thinking in its whole scope. We provide an extensive catalog of…

This study investigates the contribution of plugged and un-plugged activities to primary school students' development of computational thinking skills. The plugged and unplugged activities were used together in this study. In the implementation, in addition to the un-plugged activities prepared by the "Ministry of National Education,"…

This paper examines the implementation of unplugged tasks across different school settings developing computational thinking skills and concepts at upper primary school children in Spain without programming and without using electronic devices. The study is based on qualitative case study design. Across the three case studies/schools --…

In recent years, when computational thinking (CT) has become increasingly important, utilizing machine learning (ML) techniques provides a revolutionary method for comprehending and improving cognitive skills for young students. However, few studies deepen the process of learning ML and CT. This exploratory study aims to investigate the impact of…

Researchers are increasingly calling for more computational thinking (CT) teaching tools and activities designed for young children. Considering young children's need to draw on their bodily experiences to learn abstract concepts, this study applied the embodied cognition perspective to design an unplugged (non-computer-based) toolkit with…

Computers and computer algorithms have contributed to important scientific advances by allowing scientists and engineers to create and use sophisticated models to explain and predict phenomena. Yet, of the eight "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") science and engineering practices, computational thinking may be the…

Computational thinking (CT) activities are increasingly being integrated into early childhood schools. We focus on studying children's learning using an "unplugged" (non-computational) learning unit that considers a teacher's knowledge and classroom space and affords seamless adaptation into the classroom given the objects used in the…

Background and Context: Computational thinking (CT) is a critical part of computing education in middle school. The existing practices of collaboration and collaborative design activities at this education level pairs well with CT practices, but this interaction has previously been under-explored in the existing literature. Objective: In this…

This study investigated the effects of 3D model building activities with block codes on students' spatial thinking and computational thinking skills. The study group consists of 5th grade students in a secondary school in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. For the study, a pretestposttest control group was utilized within the experimental…

Understanding existing gender differences in the development of computational thinking skills is increasingly important for gaining valuable insights into bridging the gender gap. However, there are few studies to date that have examined gender differences based on the learning process in a realistic classroom context. In this work, we aim to…

Computational modeling and thinking skill sets were previously relegated to computer scientists and programmers. As a result, computational tools are largely unfamiliar to K-12 science teachers and students. Using Mathematical and Computational Thinking and Developing and Using Models were included in the "Next Generation Science…

Unplugged activities as a low-cost solution to foster computational thinking (CT) skills seem to be a trend in recent years. However, current evidence of the effectiveness of unplugged activities in promoting students' CT skills has been inconsistent. To understand the potential of unplugged activities on computational thinking skills, a…

An unplugged approach to teaching enables students to explore Computational Thinking without using a computer. It might appear that if students are to learn programming, they should focus on computer-based work; however, it appears that using "unplugged" activities before engaging in computer-based coding (programming) activities for…

Computational thinking (CT) has emerged as an important method in the United States for helping children learn to solve complex problems and develop skills necessary for coding and other computer science-related endeavors. Research has revealed that CT can be encouraged with children as young as 3-4 years of age. While some preschools and schools…

This study investigates how digital game co-creation promotes Computational Thinking (CT) skills among children in sub-urban primary schools. Understanding how CT skills can be fostered in learning programming concepts through co-creating digital games is crucial to determine instructional strategies that match the young students' interests and…