I was recently asked by one of my students parents
“what is the importance of coding?” In our current climate of education I feel
that this is an incredibly insightful question.
Computer technologies are rapidly replacing
countless amounts of medial tasks many of us once did. We often hear the throw
comment “there’s an app for that!” and in many cases, there is the software or
application supported by the required hardware to complete the task. However,
in conversations with many people they don’t realize behind each application,
robot , TV or computer there was someone who had developed the commands or
“coding” to operate it correctly.
Coding is the language used to instruct an
object; however, more importantly computational thinking is the set of
problem-solving skills and techniques needed to complete a task.
Many of us use technology daily yet how
many of us truly understand how it works? Technology development is one area
that us as human either flock to or flee from. One of my Maths teachers once
said, “In order to use something it is helpful to learn how it works, even if
it is just a basic understanding”, this is a saying that has stuck with me
throughout my working career.
Computational thinking outworked
through coding produces digital confidence, problem-solving skills and a rich
sense of connectedness to the world. Research suggests that student’s exposed
to coding and computational thinking generally gain greater overall outcomes
from schooling (Barr & Stephenson, 2011).
Jeannette M. Wing's article on Computational Thinking is a very helpful read for those looking for more information on this topic.
Reference
Barr V., Stephenson C. (2011). Bringing computational thinking to K-12: What is involved and what is the role of the computer science education community? ACM Inroads, 2, 48–54.