Assessing Computational Thinking in Engineering Education: A Systematic Review
Khadijeh Ravan, Shaobo Huang · Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA) · 2024
Computational thinking (CT) is an integrated part of engineering education due to the rapidly evolving global economy and the need for a workforce equipped with strong interdisciplinary skills, and an understanding of computing concepts. Assessment plays a critical role in finding out how teaching methods improve CT skills. We systematically reviewed 28 journal articles to analyze CT assessment in engineering education. The reviewed literature predominantly focused on specific engineering disciplines such as biology, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering among undergraduates, particularly first-year students. Among the assessment tools that were reviewed, ECTD is specially designed to assess CT skills in engineering. This comprehensive temporal research showed that scholarly work with an explicit focus on the assessment of CT skills has been emerging mainly in the last five years. The study provides a broad overview of the current state of research and represents an important opportunity for further scientific exploration.