DLSU CCS and Saint Jude Catholic School Collaborate to Implement Computational Thinking Curriculum for K to 12′s STEM Strand

The De La Salle University College of Computer Studies (DLSU CCS) has partnered with Saint Jude Catholic School’s high school department to implement a Computational Thinking Curriculum. This curriculum is designed for the specialized technology subjects of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand of the Senior High School. It aims to introduce the idea of integrating computational thinking across the basic education program to improve students’ problem solving skills and motivate some to pursue computing degrees in higher education. The Computational Thinking Curriculum is designed by the Consulting and Education Center, a unit under DLSU CCS which offers Continuing Education focused on ICT.

(L-R: CEC Director Allan Borra, CCS Faculty Shirley Chu, CCS External Affairs Director Charibeth Cheng, CCS Dean Dr. Merlin Teodosia C. Suarez, St. Jude Catholic School Principal Fr. Emilio Lim, SVD, SJCS Asst. Head for Senior High School Dr. Manuel Tanpoco, SJCS Faculty Roselle Quito)

What is Computational Thinking?

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) describes Computational Thinking as:

“Computational Thinking is a problem-solving process that includes but is not limited to the following characteristics:

• Formulating problems in a way that enables the use of computer and technology to solve them
• Logically organizing and analyzing data and information
• Representing data through abstractions such as models and simulations
• Automating solutions through algorithmic thinking
• Generalization and transfer of computational thinking as a process to solve a wide variety of problems”

Computational thinking as a learning goal presents a different set of content and context compared to programming classes in high school. While programming classes are usually focused on learning how to program, that is to a write a set of instructions that the computer can understand to complete a task, computational thinking aims to develop the ability solve problems computationally. Instead of just learning about programming concepts and constructs, the focus is on the nature of problems and their complexity and how computational thinking can address these when designing solutions. The context demands that students, whether they choose business, science, engineering, arts, music or whatever field of study, will learn to identify problems around them and consequently the means to solve them with computing technologies.