Integrated STEM+C learning for K-2 aged children: CT competencies as a precursor to K-2 computer science education

As computer science education is incorporated into the United States educational system, it is imperative that children, educators, and caregivers understand the requisite competencies called "computational thinking" (CT). CT has advanced since first described by Wing in 2006 as an algorithmic problem-solving approach. For three years, the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering (INSPIRE) has studied integrated science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computational thinking (STEM+C) learning for K-2 aged children, in both formal and informal settings. At the project's origin, the team focused on characterizing and operationalizing the CT competencies. Our studies then followed how children, instructors, and families engaged in the CT competencies within school and out-of-school. As the project evolved, our team created curricula to be used in K-2 classrooms, activities for out-of-school settings, a summer training for educators, a CT exhibit at a small Midwestern science center, and facilitated a field trip for elementary students. Our poster presents findings from all stages of our NSF-funded STEM+C project. For classroom settings, we report discoveries from integrated STEM+C curricula development and children's CT capabilities and engagement within the classroom and during homeschooling. For informal settings, we report children's abilities to engage in CT when engaging with a specially designed CT exhibit and an open-ended problem-solving task. We also discuss our data management for our project. Finally, we report the lessons and implications of CT for K-2 ask a viable skill for computer science education. For additional info ideas, handouts will be given during poster presentation.