these skills include by are limited to algorithms, sequencing, procedures, automation, task commands, parameters, functions, randomizing, logic, control commands, debugging, coding and abstraction.
Published in Chapter:
Integrating Computational Thinking and Mathematics: A Case Study on Four K-8 STEAM Programs in Ontario, Canada
Marja Bertrand (University of Western Ontario, Canada) and Immaculate Kizito Namukasa (University of Western Ontario, Canada)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 23
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-1479-5.ch005
Abstract
Globally, computational thinking and coding in schools has become more popular as well as a growing area of interest in education reform. Coupling coding with creative thinking promises to meaningfully engage students in their learning and to improve their coding and computational thinking skills. This prompts discussions about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), which promotes creativity and innovation through the integration of the arts in STEM subjects. This study addresses the following question: What mathematics and computational thinking do students learn through different models of STEAM education in non-profit and in-school contexts? A small sample was taken of four different STEAM programs in Ontario, Canada. We carried out a qualitative case study with 103 participants, 19 adults and 84 students. The findings from this study have implications for designing, implementing and researching K-8 STEAM programs that promote coding and computational thinking skills in the context of learning mathematics.