«Computational Thinking Test: design guidelines, content validation and item analysis»
Marcos RománUNED
Abstract
We live in a society full of digital and programmable objects. In this context, being code-literate involves an inescapable requirement for any citizen of the XXI century. We believe that a person is code-literate when the ability to read and write in the language of computers and to think computationally has been developed. So it is not surprising that computational thinking (CT) is being located as focus of educational innovation as a set of problem solving skills to be acquired by new generations of students. However, we still lack international consensus on a definition of CT, nor a clear idea of how to incorporate CT to our education systems at various levels. Similarly, there is a striking gap about how to measure and assess CT. METHOD. In reply, this lecture presents the design of a Computational Thinking Test aimed at Spanish students between 12 and 13 years (grades K-7 & K-8): we describe the guidelines on which whole test and each of its items have been designed, as well as the content validation process through expert’s judgment procedure. RESULTS. Through this process, the initial version of the 40-item test length was depurated to a 28-item final version, which is currently being applied to the target population. Also, a preliminary item analysis is presented; that is based on a Computational Thinking Test application to a sample of 400 subjects. DISCUSSION. Finally, possible limitations of the test and possible concurrency of the same with other international evidence on computational thinking assessment are discussed.
Bio
Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Department of Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education I. Currently developing his doctoral thesis on codeliteracy and development of computational thinking in secondary education. He teaches in the area of high ability, working on a new definition of digitally gifted.
