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Comparing Computational Thinking Competencies Across Undergraduate Engineering Majors: A Qualitative Analysis

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Computer Science Education and AI research

Tagged Division

Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM)

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--43267

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/43267

Download Count

133

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Paper Authors

biography

Na Zhao Nanyang Technological University

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Zhao Na is an undergraduate student in the Bachelor of Accounting program at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. She is involved in the Undergraduate Research on Campus (URECA) program and is working on computational thinking projects as part of Dr. Yeter's Research Team at NTU.

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Ibrahim H. Yeter Nanyang Technological University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-0175-2306

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Ibrahim H. Yeter, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Education (NIE) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. He is an affiliated faculty member of the NTU Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE) and the NTU Institute for Science and Technology for Humanity (NISTH). Additionally, he is the Director of the World MOON Project, the Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Education, and the upcoming Program Chair-Elect of the PCEE Division at ASEE. His current research interests include STEM+C education, specifically artificial intelligence literacy, computational thinking, and engineering.

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Cristina Diordieva Nanyang Technological University

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Cristina Diordieva is currently the Project Coordinator for the World MOON Project. She was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the joint medical school (LKCMedicine) at Imperial College London in the UK and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She is a co-author of a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Switzerland. Her research interests include educational technology, online learning, digital health, and language massive open online courses (L-MOOCs).

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Abstract

In this paper, we seek to investigate the ways and circumstances in which undergraduate engineering students engage in computational thinking (CT). As technology advances, we move towards a new industrial landscape where engineers face increasingly complex problems. For engineering students of the 21st century to thrive in their future careers, it is crucial for interdisciplinary education to equip them with the necessary tools and support required to solve problems effectively and think more comprehensively. CT and the engineering way of thinking enhance conceptualization and critical thinking skills, and their processes complement each other. Thus, promoting CT in engineering education is essential. However, research on the interpretation and development of CT is conducted to a limited extent at the undergraduate level. A semi-structured interview protocol was developed to gather insights on the five main pillars of computational thinking practices (i.e., abstraction, algorithms, problem decomposition, pattern recognition, and troubleshooting/debugging) from eight undergraduate students (four female and four male). The participants were evenly distributed across four disciplines, including computer science, electrical and electronic engineering, civil engineering, and computer engineering, in a Southeast Asian research-focused institution. The students discussed their perceptions of CT within their respective disciplines and provided examples of when they thought CT might be helpful. Using thematic analysis, the results are used to understand how CT competencies organically arise in students’ problem-solving processes. Student responses suggested that incorporating more use cases in the structuring of coursework may facilitate the integration of CT into the engineering curriculum by improving the recognition of CT concepts.

Zhao, N., & Yeter, I. H., & Diordieva, C. (2023, June), Comparing Computational Thinking Competencies Across Undergraduate Engineering Majors: A Qualitative Analysis Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43267

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