  Within the last 15 years, computational thinking (CT) has emerged as a focal point of K-12 education. A plethora of studies have outlined the practices involved when students and teachers engage in CT, and these works discuss the topic for a variety of disciplines, academic levels, and research purposes. In this work, we present our process of navigating the field of existing CT practices. We have established a framework that is specific to the computationally-integrated high school physics context, where students use minimally working code to construct models of physical phenomena. From a total of nine previous scholarly works, we have identified fourteen CT practices that are applicable to the introductory physics classroom. This work will provide a foundation for exploring high school students perceptions of computational thinking.

Navigating Computational Thinking Frameworks for Introductory Physics Courses (PERC)

Within the last 15 years, computational thinking (CT) has emerged as a focal point of K-12 education. Numerous frameworks have outlined the practices involved when students and teachers engage in CT. These frameworks discuss how CT practices should be understood, implemented, and assessed in the classroom. While curricular expectations around this topic are becoming clearer, teachers (especially high school STEM instructors) still express a significant need for assessment strategies in the classroom. In light of this, we have begun to develop an assessment that will measure high school and early college instructors’ perspectives on CT practices. Currently, we are constructing an open-ended pilot survey that will help us understand which practices are relevant to teachers and how familiar teachers are with these practices. Once we have identified the CT practices that teachers are interested in evaluating, we will move to the next step of the assessment development: creating an open-ended free-response questionnaire to administer to students.

Navigating Computational Thinking Frameworks for Introductory Physics Courses

Poster Session I

poster

Join us in exploring emergent themes in PER as a scholarly endeavor and as a research community!  Since its inception, PER has served as a confluence of discipline, theory, research methodology, practice, and application.  How have these facets and the interplays among them been fruitful for physics education globally, regionally, locally, or otherwise?  And, how have our successes and interactions influenced the very nature of PER itself?
Following the lead of AAPT for the summer meeting, PERC 20/20 was virtual. Enjoy browsing the content.

PERC SM 20

Since its inception, PER has served as a confluence of discipline, theory, research methodology, practice, and application.  How have these facets and the interplays among them been fruitful for physics education globally, regionally, locally, or otherwise?  And, how have our successes and interactions influenced the very nature of PER itself?

PAR-E.01  Computational Thinking In Physics II 

technical paper

The 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting brought together physics educators from around the globe to learn about the latest in physics theory, research methodology and education from leaders in their field. The program featured plenary speakers, sessions, workshops and many special activities.

For more information please visit the 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting page at: https://www.aapt.org/Conferences/SM2020/index.cfm.


AAPT SM 20

The 2020 AAPT Virtual Summer Meeting brought together physics educators from around the globe to learn about the latest in physics theory, research methodology and education from leaders in their field. 

Theodore Bott

2

1

SHORT BIO

Presentations

Navigating Computational Thinking Frameworks for Introductory Physics Courses (PERC)

Navigating Computational Thinking Frameworks for Introductory Physics Courses

Stay up to date with the latest Underline news!

PRESENTATIONS

CONFERENCES

COMPANY

RESOURCES