Computational Thinking

DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMMES

Computational Thinking

Computational Thinking Skills (CoTs)

Computational thinking is an analytical thinking skill to solve problems in a systematic way. In computational thinking, problem formulation is an important step to problem solving. Students are taught cognitive strategies such as breaking down tasks or problems, identifying patterns and hypothesising so as to plan the coding actions.

The desired student outcomes of teaching and learning Computational Thinking Skills (CoTS) are:

• Developing positive learning dispositions as students develop cognitive strategies and articulate their thinking.

• Developing metacognitive skills as hypothesising, predicting and testing out possibilities make thinking visible.

CoTs is taught to all students through ICT based lessons and PAL modules for lower primary and modular CCA for P3 to P6 students. For a smaller group of interested and talented students, CoTs is further developed through Robotics and Infocomm and Media interest CCAs.

Students’ CoTs learning experience include:

P1 and P2

• Basic coding with block codes for Dash and Dot Robots and Strawbees for simple robotic functions such as playing music, moving and exploring terrain, animation of 3d-straw designs

• Coding Microbits with IMDA propriety program for household gadgets.

P3 and P4

Modular CCA (for all)

• Intermediate block coding (more levels of control than basic) for Wedo and Mindstorm Robots.

• Creating videos and images with Adobe suite

• Web page design

• Developing apps

Interest CCA (a smaller group)

• Advance block coding (more levels of control and functions) for robotics and animation

• Programming Language with Python

• Designing games