What is Computational Thinking

What is computational thinking

What is
computational
thinking?

Jeannette Wing

• Earned bachelor's and master's degrees in

Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science at MIT

• Went on to get her Ph.D. in Computer

Science at MIT

• CS Professor and Department Head at

Carnegie Mellon University

• Became Corporate Vice President of

Microsoft Research

• Now Director of the Data Science Institute

and Professor of Computer Science at
Columbia University

Think like a computer scientist

“Computational thinking is the
thought processes involved in
formulating a problem and
expressing its solutions in a
way that a computer - human
or machine - can effectively
carry out.”

- Jeannette Wing

Universal components

Decomposition

Pattern

recognition

Abstraction

Algorithmic

thinking

Decomposition

The ability to break a larger
problem down into smaller
parts.

Pattern
recognition

When you observe
similarities and patterns
within problems.

Abstraction

When you identify what
defines the patterns you see
and focus on the important
information only.

Algorithmic
thinking

When you develop a
step-by-step plan, or the
rules to follow, to solve a
problem.

• Groups of 3-5
• Work together to brainstorm ideas

for Section A

• As a group work together to

complete the challenges in
Section B

Computational thinking in
practice

Algorithmic

thinking

Abstraction

Pattern

recognition

Decomposition
• Creative assignment
• Pick one:

⚬ Write a short science fiction

story with a character who
uses the four ideas of
computational thinking.

⚬ Draw a picture that

incorporates the four ideas of
computational thinking.

⚬ Analyze a poem or song lyrics

to identify where you see the
four ideas of computational
thinking.

To do

Computational thinking is a problem-solving process that includes characteristics like logically ordering and analyzing data, making option B the correct choice.

The correct choice is D) Designing computer hardware because it is not a characteristic of computational thinking. Computational thinking focuses on data analysis, logical ordering, and creating solutions using algorithms.

Jeannette Wing earned her bachelor's and master's degrees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), making option C the correct choice.

Jeannette Wing held the position of CS Professor and Department Head at Carnegie Mellon University.

Jeannette Wing's career achievement was becoming the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Research, making option B the correct choice.

Jeannette Wing is a prominent advocate for computational thinking and currently the Director of the Data Science Institute at Columbia University.

The thought processes involved in formulating a problem and expressing its solutions in a way that a computer - human or machine - can effectively carry out.

The correct choice is 'Programming' because it is NOT one of the universal components of computational thinking. The other components - Decomposition, Pattern recognition, and Abstraction - are universal components.

The component 'Decomposition' in computational thinking refers to the ability to break a larger problem down into smaller, manageable parts.

To observe similarities and patterns within problems to make more effective solutions.

The primary focus when identifying patterns in computational thinking is to focus on the important information only. This helps in recognizing key elements and relationships to solve problems efficiently.

Algorithmic thinking involves developing a step-by-step plan or set of rules.

Groups of 3-5 working together to brainstorm ideas for Section A is an example of computational thinking in practice as it involves collaborative problem-solving and idea generation.

Computational thinking is applied in medicine by analyzing large datasets of patient records to find patterns that could lead to new treatments.

In the field of Education, computational thinking is used to create personalized learning plans for students.

Designing complex systems by breaking down the design process into smaller, more manageable tasks is an application of computational thinking in engineering.