Junkbots and Computational ThinkingScott Turner

5th June 2015

Computational ThinkingJunkbotWhere the project is now?What is the link?

What is Computational Thinking

Wing (2006) “Computational Thinking” COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM March 2006/Vol. 49, No. 3 pp. 33-35

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/wing/www/publications/Wing06.pdf

What is Computational Thinking

Conceptualizing, not programming. Computer science is not computer programming. Thinking like a computer scientist means more than being able to program a computer

What is Computational Thinking

Fundamental, not rote skill. A fundamental skill is something every human being must know to function in modern society

What is Computational Thinking

A way that humans, not computers, think. Computational thinking is a way humans solve problems; it is not trying to get humans to think like computers.

Computer ‘thinking’ is dull.

What is Computational Thinking

Complements and combines mathematical and engineering thinking.

Computer science:- draws on mathematical thinking- draws on engineering thinking, given that we build systems that interact with the real world.

What is Computational Thinking

For everyone, everywhere. Computational thinking will be a reality when it is so integral to human endeavors it disappears as an explicit philosophy.

- it is reality when we no longer need to define it seperately – it just is!

Education changes

There is a move in many countries to address the lack of computational thinking in schools.

In the UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study

What is Computational Thinking

http://barefootcas.org.uk/barefoot-primary-computing-resources/concepts/computational-thinking/

Junkbots 12 hours of STEM activities to over 100 secondary school students.

Junkbots

Three areasProgramming a Lego robot to clear junk.

A set of activities on Waste Management

Building a moving ‘bot’ out of junk.

Junkbots

Programming a Lego robot to clear junk.

Building a moving ‘bot’ out of junk.

… Computational Thinking elements

Junkbots

Success

Original target of 100 students getting 12 hours of STEM activity – meet

Approx. 200 (and growing) have had the two computing/engineering focussed activities.

Now for the Primary Schools/Youth Groups

This is the growth area.

Success. http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/robot-day-videos.html

What Happened Next

The computing elements strengthened.

Others start delivering sessions.

Now – Junkbots and Raspberry Pi

Hayden Tetley – Scratch based

Now – Junkbots and Raspberry Pi

Now – Junkbots and Raspberry Pi

James Mitchell – Python and Raspberry Pi

Move the programming on.Graphical interface using Blockly

Going to be a Secondary School Teacher and is awinner of BCS Scholarship to train.

What is Computational Thinking

http://barefootcas.org.uk/barefoot-primary-computing-resources/concepts/computational-thinking/

So What?

All the approaches are facilitatedTinkeringCreatingDebuggingPerseveranceCollaboration

So What?

Non Programming junkbotsAbstraction DecompositionPatternsLogicEvaluation

Programming adds the Algorithms

Funders

East Midlands Development Agency

STEM SouthWestNuffield Bursary

Resources

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study

http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/

QuestionHow are the changes in curriculum going to effect University curriculum?