Interdisciplinary experiments in and perspectives on computational thinking

  • Authors:
  • Affiliations:
  • Venue:
  • Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges
  • Year:
  • 2012

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Abstract

This panel consists of faculty who jointly worked on a collaborative project connected to an NSF-sponsored interdisciplinary initiative called "Piloting Pathways for Computational Thinking in the Curriculum." Faculty at Towson University from Computer Science, English, Kinesiology, Music, and Sociology jointly formulated courses that involved applying and connecting ideas for analytic and creative purposes across fields. We respectively experimented with identifying concepts and with using these tools in our respective areas or fields; we also worked towards identifying what aspects or features of computational thinking might be generalized for broader educational purposes. The courses included "Everyday Computational Thinking" (Computer Science), "Revolutionary Networks" (Sociology), "Creative Work with Audio and Visual" (Music), "Computational Thinking in the Humanities" (English), and "Developing Life Skills for Weight Management" (Kinesiology). From the perspective of the humanities and music, much was learned by way of the limits of computation as an explanatory model for the expressive dimensions of our fields; that said, much was also learned about how the constraints it presented could enhance and generate new possibilities for analysis and creativity. The more quantitative-based disciplines likewise explored some applications of computational thinking for more dynamic approaches to problem-solving in everyday contexts and lives. The panel will include several faculty involved in the project who will share their experiences and learning outcomes in brief (approximately 10-minute "flash" presentations with lots of handouts), and we will invite audience inquiries about the challenges experienced in collaborating for such an interdisciplinary project and how what we learned will inform future goals and initiatives.