Computational thinking. Digital literacy without computers

Abstract

Computational thinking has been introduced in schools to provide skills to survive in the digital world, but without proper attention to the fact that digital media are not just means of economic development, but a new way of thinking that modifies culture, communication and social relationships. We will try to demonstrate, with the help of literature, software development and the results of experimental workshops, first, that computational thinking must include humanities and, secondly, analogic skills and cultural traditions. Thus, this article’s goal is to rethink the computational thinking framework and overcome its limitations considering the cultural context and especially the rescue of cultural identity. To do this we will follow three main lines of thought: a) the discussion of the limits of technocentrism; b) a proper analysis of the characteristics of software; c) the analysis of alternative educational solutions like Turing machines and shape grammars. In the conclusions we will show that laptops, tablets and smartphones are not indispensable and can even jeopardize learning and creativity.