Computational ThinkingComputing is the study of principles and practices that underpin an understanding and modelling of computation, and of their application in the development of computer systems. At its heart lies the notion of computational thinking: a mode of thought that goes well beyond software and hardware, and that provides a framework within which to reason about systems and problems. This mode of thinking is supported and complemented by a substantial body of theoretical and practical knowledge, and by a set of powerful techniques for analysing, modelling and solving problems.
Computing is deeply concerned with how computers and computer systems work, and how they are designed and programmed. Pupils studying computing gain insight into computational systems of all kinds, whether or not they include computers. Computational thinking influences fields such as biology, chemistry, linguistics, psychology, economics and statistics. It allows us to solve problems, design systems and understand the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. It is a skill that empowers, and that all students should be aware of and have some competence in. Furthermore, pupils who can think computationally are better able to conceptualise and understand computer-based technology, and so are better equipped to function in modern society.
Computing is a practical subject, where invention and resourcefulness are encouraged. Pupils are expected to apply the academic principles they have learned to the understanding of real-world systems, and to the creation of purposeful artefacts. This combination of principles, practice, and invention makes it an extraordinarily useful and an intensely creative subject, suffused with excitement, both visceral (―it works!‖) and intellectual (―that is so beautiful‖).
Computing: A curriculum for schools Computing at School Working Group
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk October 2011
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/CAS_UKCRC_report.pdf
http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/key-stage-3/
Education enhances pupils‘ lives as well as their life skills. It prepares young people for a world that doesn‘t yet exist, involving technologies that have not yet been invented, and that present technical and ethical challenges of which we are not yet aware.
To do this, education aspires primarily to teach disciplines with long-term value, rather than skills with short-term usefulness, although the latter are certainly useful. A discipline‖ is characterised by :
· A body of knowledge, including widely-applicable ideas and concepts, and a theoretical framework into which these ideas and concepts fit.
· A set of techniques and methods that may be applied in the solution of problems, and in the advancement of knowledge.
· A way of thinking and working that provides a perspective on the world that is distinct from other disciplines.
· Longevity: a discipline does not ―date‖ quickly, although the subject advances.
· Independence from specific technologies, especially those that have a short shelf-life.
Computing is a discipline with all of these characteristics. It encompasses foundational principles (such as the theory of computation) and widely applicable ideas and concepts (such as the use of relational models to capture structure in data). It incorporates techniques and methods for solving problems and advancing knowledge (such as abstraction and logical reasoning), and a distinct way of thinking and working that sets it apart from other disciplines (computational thinking). It has longevity (most of the ideas and concepts that were current 20 or more years ago are still applicable today), and every core principle can be taught or illustrated without relying on the use of a specific technology.
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Computing and ICT are complementary, but they are not the same
Computing and ICT are complementary subjects. Computing teaches a student how to be an effective author of computational tools (i.e. software), while ICT teaches how to be a thoughtful user of those tools. This[ neat juxtaposition is only part of the truth, because it focuses too narrowly on computers as a technology, and computing is much broader than that. As Dijkstra famously remarked, «Computing is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes». More specifically:
Computing is a discipline that seeks to understand and explore the world around us, both natural and artificial, in computational terms. Computing is particularly, but by no means exclusively, concerned with the study, design, and implementation of computer systems, and the principles underlying these designs.
ICT deals with the purposeful application of computer systems to solve real-world problems, including issues such as the identification of business needs, the specification and installation of hardware and software, and the evaluation of usability.
Computing is deeply concerned with how computers and computer systems work, and how they are designed and programmed. Pupils studying computing gain insight into computational systems of all kinds, whether or not they include computers. Computational thinking influences fields such as biology, chemistry, linguistics, psychology, economics and statistics. It allows us to solve problems, design systems and understand the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. It is a skill that empowers, and that all students should be aware of and have some competence in. Furthermore, pupils who can think computationally are better able to conceptualise and understand computer-based technology, and so are better equipped to function in modern society.
Computing is a practical subject, where invention and resourcefulness are encouraged. Pupils are expected to apply the academic principles they have learned to the understanding of real-world systems, and to the creation of purposeful artefacts. This combination of principles, practice, and invention makes it an extraordinarily useful and an intensely creative subject, suffused with excitement, both visceral (―it works!‖) and intellectual (―that is so beautiful‖).
Computing: A curriculum for schools Computing at School Working Group
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk October 2011
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/CAS_UKCRC_report.pdf
http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/subjects/key-stage-3/
Education enhances pupils‘ lives as well as their life skills. It prepares young people for a world that doesn‘t yet exist, involving technologies that have not yet been invented, and that present technical and ethical challenges of which we are not yet aware.
To do this, education aspires primarily to teach disciplines with long-term value, rather than skills with short-term usefulness, although the latter are certainly useful. A discipline‖ is characterised by :
· A body of knowledge, including widely-applicable ideas and concepts, and a theoretical framework into which these ideas and concepts fit.
· A set of techniques and methods that may be applied in the solution of problems, and in the advancement of knowledge.
· A way of thinking and working that provides a perspective on the world that is distinct from other disciplines.
· Longevity: a discipline does not ―date‖ quickly, although the subject advances.
· Independence from specific technologies, especially those that have a short shelf-life.
Computing is a discipline with all of these characteristics. It encompasses foundational principles (such as the theory of computation) and widely applicable ideas and concepts (such as the use of relational models to capture structure in data). It incorporates techniques and methods for solving problems and advancing knowledge (such as abstraction and logical reasoning), and a distinct way of thinking and working that sets it apart from other disciplines (computational thinking). It has longevity (most of the ideas and concepts that were current 20 or more years ago are still applicable today), and every core principle can be taught or illustrated without relying on the use of a specific technology.
..............................................................................................................................................
Computing and ICT are complementary, but they are not the same
Computing and ICT are complementary subjects. Computing teaches a student how to be an effective author of computational tools (i.e. software), while ICT teaches how to be a thoughtful user of those tools. This[ neat juxtaposition is only part of the truth, because it focuses too narrowly on computers as a technology, and computing is much broader than that. As Dijkstra famously remarked, «Computing is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes». More specifically:
Computing is a discipline that seeks to understand and explore the world around us, both natural and artificial, in computational terms. Computing is particularly, but by no means exclusively, concerned with the study, design, and implementation of computer systems, and the principles underlying these designs.
ICT deals with the purposeful application of computer systems to solve real-world problems, including issues such as the identification of business needs, the specification and installation of hardware and software, and the evaluation of usability.