Computational thinking

Abstract

Computational thinking, defined by Wing (2011) as the “thought processes involved in formulating problems … so that the solutions are represented in a form that can effectively be carried out by an information-processing agent,” has become the central construct of K12 computing education around the world. This article provides a history of computational thinking, a summary of computational thinking's role in educational policy and practice, role as a research construct, and concludes by considering the future of computational thinking. The debate over how to define and teach computational thinking can be understood as a proxy for the broader questions about education.