Reform of Computer Foundation Course for Science and Engineering Major Based on Computational Thinki

Reform of Computer Foundation Course for Science and Engineering Major Based on Computational Thinking Rong Zhou1, a*, LinPing Su1, b, Biying Lin1, c School of Control & Computer Engineering, North China Electrical Power University Beijing, China

1

zhourong@ncepu.edu.cn; bslp@ncepu.edu.cn; clinbiying@ncepu.edu.cn

a

Abstract Computer Foundation is the basis of college’s computer courses, which aims to raise the studentsʹ comprehensive quality. To achieve the goal, we performed computer foundation course reform after analyzing the situation of curriculum for science and engineering major. In this paper, first, the concept of computational thinking is discussed. Then, the situation of curriculum for science and engineering major is listed and analyzed. Finally, the reform of our computer foundation course based on computational thinking is elaborated.

Keywords Computational Thinking; Computer Foundation; Course Reform

Introduction Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem solving method that uses computer science techniques. Just like reading, writing, and arithmetic, CT is the fundamental skill which is required for intellectuals, especially for the college students majoring in science and engineering. The term computational thinking was first used by Seymour Papert in 1996, and then was brought to the forefront of the computer science community as a result of an ACM Communications article on the subject by Jeannette Wing in 2006. It is said that computational thinking can be used to algorithmically solve complicated problems of scale, and is often used to realize large improvements in efficiency. From then on, CT became the basic principle which should be followed while setting or reforming the computer concerned curriculum. The main reason of its unshakable importance is that CT has the following characteristics: 

Analyzing and logically organizing data

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Data modeling, data abstractions, and simulations

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Formulating problems that computers may assist

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Identifying, testing, and implementing possible solutions

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Automating solutions via algorithmic thinking

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Generalizing and applying this process to other problems

Based on these characteristics, we can conclude that CT is oriented from computer science, but is not limited by it.

Therefore, it is fundamental for college students to cultivate the ability of computational thinking.

Now, we are trying to apply novel computing concepts to problems to show the value of computational thinking, and to build and strengthen college students’ minds with computational thinking, analysis and problems solving.

The Situation of Curriculum for Science and Engineering Major It is stated in ʺThe basic requirement of teaching computer basis courseʺ published by the steering committee of basic computer courses teaching in Colleges and Universities that the knowledge system should include four fields and three levels, and curriculum system should consist of 1+X courses. One of the courses in curriculum system refers to the College Computer Foundation, which is the basis of college computer curriculum. The College Computer Foundation course has been opened for first year student in our university since 2000. After years of 46 International Journal of Sociology Study, Vol. 3 No. 1‐June 2015 2328‐1685/15/01 046‐03, © 2015 DEStech Publications, Inc. doi: 10.12783/ijss.2015.03.009

Reform of Computer Foundation Course for Science and Engineering Major Based on Computational Thinking 47

building and reforming, this course has been one of the university essential courses. As one of the essential courses for demonstration, we aimed to cultivate the practical ability of students. Furthermore, the online paperless testing is adopted, and teaching material and associated experimental material are published in 2006 and 2012, separately.

Though the efforts we have made, there are still some problems emerging during the teaching process.

The Content of the Computer Related Courses First of all, the reason which hinders students from forming computational thinking is the content of the computer related courses. Though, the main courses, including computer foundation, programming language, have been set for science and engineering major students for years, the content of these courses are fragmented and distracted.

For example, the course, computer foundation consists of several unconnected parts: the structure of computer, the information representation in computer, the principle of operating system, how to use windows operating system, how to use office software, introduction of internet and so on. Obviously, each part could be an independent computer course, and it is hard to develop computational thinking by learning how to use software. What is more, after spending one semester on such course, students learned nothing except some abstract terms without deep understanding, maybe, some skills about how to use office to type a well‐set paper. Sometimes, even the skills are beyond the students capability for long time unused.

The Difference of the Junior Students Level The other reason is the difference of the junior student’s level. Some students from rural countryside never heard about computer, let alone having access to computer. For them, the basic course, computer foundation, filled with lots of obscure terms and complicated operation. On the other side, for those students graduated from modern high school, the course is too boring which is simple knowledge duplication. Therefore, the both sideʹs misunderstanding of computer related courses undermines the faith of developing computational thinking.

Meanwhile, this difference is also a dilemma for teaching.

The Reform about Computer Foundation Based on Computational Thinking Now, we are working on introducing the concept of computational thinking to students in the course of computer foundation. Our target is to develop students’ ability of solving problem and designing system. There are two improvements we have made.

Re‐Organize the Content of Course First, according to the student’s response, the course is re‐organized, and the teaching material is revised correspondingly. The details about practical operation, such as how to use office, are removed from class teaching.

As a replace, a comprehensive assistant video is provided for students to turn to for help while encounter difficulties. In addition, algorithm design and analysis are introduced to the course. Considering the fact that studentsʹ lack of programming experience, the algorithms selected are simple and easy to understand. For example, how to look for information from a bunch of data and how to find the top student from a class. The aim of teaching algorithm is to develop the skills of computational thinking, not programming, which is the other courseʹs assignment. Therefore, we focus on the procedure of problem solving, instead of discussing about how to fulfill the algorithm by programming language. There are several tools introduced to help students choose an appropriate representation or model the relevant aspects of a problem. By using these tools, problems become tractable.

Students are taught to use abstraction and decomposition in tackling a large complex task. Just like a puzzle, after dividing a difficult problem into different levels, the one which we know how to solve should be tackled first, then the answer is there while we put all sub‐solution together. The skills of decomposing and composing are the main methods that students are supposed to master after one semester study. It is also the basic part of computational thinking.

Offer Pre‐Semester Course Due to the unbalance distribution of technology and economical resource, the huge gap between the students from rural area and those from big cities will exist for a long time. In order to fill the blank of fundamental computer

48 RONG ZHOU, LINPING SU, BIYING LIN knowledge, the pre‐semester course is provided for junior students. They can choose to take this class to learn basic operations, such as how to turn the computer on and start the operation system. In addition, the videos about how to use some basic software are also offered, which is recorded according to the experimental material. Because these subjects only concern operation not abstraction, modeling ,analysis, and designing, it would not be hard for students, and the class time saved could be use to cultivate studentsʹ computational thinking.

Summary Just like Jeannette Wing said that computational thinking is a fundamental skill for everyone, not just for computer scientists. It is not too late to cultivate science and engineering major studentsʹ analytical ability. Therefore, the target of computer foundation course should be transferred from learning skills to developing abilities.

Accordingly, we start the reform of our course. After reform, the inspiration content is reserved, methods, tools and examples are added, and operation concerned is removed. Obviously, the reform of computer foundation course is the first step of cultivating computational thinking. How to make computational thinking available to non‐ computer science major students and improve their problem solving ability, enrich their minds remains an open issue.

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