Application of the Occupational Analysis of Computational Thinking-Enabled STEM Professionals as a Program Assessment Tool

Abstract

This paper describes the application of findings from the National Science Foundation’s project on Computational Thinking (CT) in America’s Workplace to program assessment. It presents the process used to define the primary job functions and work tasks of CT-Enabled STEM professionals in today’s scientific enterprise. Authors describe three programs developing CT skills among learners in secondary and post secondary programs and how the resulting occupational analysis was used to review these programs. The article presents ways this analysis can be used as a framework to guide the development of STEM learning outcomes and activities, and sets of directions for future work.