A Systematic Approach to Catalogue Learning Resources that Promote Computational Thinking
Cristiana Araújo, Pedro Rangel Henriques, João Cerqueira · 2024
Computational Thinking (CT) is a transversal ability to solve problems in any area, is crucial for Computer Programming. We believe that CT skills should be developed and encouraged from a young age. However, to promote the development of CT it is necessary to use appropriate materials, which we call Learning Resources (LR). For a more efficient development of CT, it is important that the LR are designed and used in order to obtain the maximum potential of the resource. Scientific evidence from Neuroeducation can be used to fully explore LR. There are many LR available to promote CT, however, they are not correctly classified in order to be easy to understand what specific CT skills they stimulate, neither which ages they are adequate for. Directions for their most convenient usage are also lacking. This paper aims to present an approach to categorize these LR so that when a teacher intends to promote the development of one or more specific CT skills, in a given schooling year, he can find the adequate LR more easily, and also get educational resources concerning their use. This characterization approach is based on OntoCnE ontology. OntoCnE was built by us and is composed of 4 layers that define: how to develop CT (1); which concepts should be taught at each school level (2); which materials are appropriate for each skill (3); and the Neuroeducation guidelines associated with each resource (4). This paper essentially focuses on layers 3 and 4 to perform the LR characterization. To illustrate our approach, we will follow OntoCnE statements to categorize a set of LRs. With this methodological setting we intend to build a catalog of LR more effectively promote CT skills on children.