Reframing Learning to Code
Tomi Slotte Dufva · 2025
In the last decade, coding (or programming) has been (re)introduced into the primary curriculum in many countries, including Finland. Coding skills are often considered vital future skills for the individual, society and the national economy (Dufva and Dufva, 2016; Saariketo, 2015a; Williamson, 2015, 2016c). The focus of learning to code has thus mostly been on computational problem-solving and computational thinking. Even though computational thinking is an essential skill regarding digital technology, it has overshadowed other aspects of learning to code, such as understanding the digital (and digitally coded) world around us or presenting code as artistic material instead of a logical exercise. This chapter focuses on creative coding as an empowering and artistic method of learning to code.