Development and illustration of a framework for computational thinking practices in introductory physics

Abstract

Physics classes with computation integrated into the curriculum are a fitting setting for investigating computational thinking. In this paper, we present a framework for exploring this topic in introductory physics courses. The framework, which was developed by reviewing relevant literature and acquiring video data from high school classrooms, comprises 14 practices that students could engage in when working with Glowscript VPython activities. For every practice, we provide in-class video data to exemplify the practice. In doing this work, we hope to provide ways for teachers to assess their students' development of computational thinking and give physics education researchers a foundation to study the topic in greater depth.