Refining an understanding of computational thinking

This paper identifies aspects of computational thinking and proposes a description that meets the needs of teachers and academics reflecting upon the developing UK curriculum. Since Jeanette Wing’s use of the term computational thinking in 2006, various discussions have arisen seeking a robust definition of the phrase with little consensus. In order to facilitate consistent curriculum design and appropriate assessment, it is argued that a definition and description of the elements of computational thinking need to be identified. Criteria are developed for the objectives of a computational thinking definition, in accordance with the needs identified in the literature. The most frequently occurring terms, descriptions, and meanings used to characterise computational thinking are also identified in the literature. Using the criteria as a guide and the collected terms as the vocabulary, a definition of computational thinking is developed which incorporates the concepts of automation, abstraction, decomposition, algorithmic design, evaluation, and generalisation