PERC 2012 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Understanding Student Computational Thinking with Computational Modeling |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | Computational thinking comprises all the processes of conceptualizing how the instantaneous influences on a system construct the system's overall evolution, moment by moment. For example, in physics this might mean conceiving of the flight of a projectile as an iterative process, with each previous moment's velocity and force influencing the subsequent position and velocity in a discrete series of steps. To engage in the successful practice of computational modeling, a student must apply computational thinking and include a successful explanation of the physical model. Student dynamical thinking was assessed in a high school Modeling Instruction physics classroom with a written essay and a series of think aloud interviews, where the students produced and discussed a computational model of a baseball in motion via a high-level programming environment (VPython). |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster Presentation |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
John M. Aiken Georgia State University 3736 Gloucester Drive Tucker, GA 30084 Phone: 6786973181 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Scott S. Douglas2, John B. Burk3, Michael F. Schatz2, Marcos D. Caballero4, Erin M. Scanlon2, Brian D. Thoms1 [1] Georgia State University [2] Georgia Institute of Technology [3] St. Andrew's School [4] University of Colorado Boulder |
