I M A G E F R O M S A N J O S E S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y , S A N J O S E , C A / H T T P S : / / W W W . S J S U . E D U

trol group) did not experience the com-
putational thinking module, while the
second (the experimental group) spe-
cifically learned about computational
thinking ideas by working through the
module. The authors found the major-
ity of pre-service teachers in the control
group viewed computational think-
ing as integration of technology in the
classroom, whereas the majority of
participants in the experimental group
developed their understanding of
computational thinking as a problem-
solving approach by using algorithms/
heuristics. Results also suggested pre-
service teachers in the experimental
group were better able to articulate
how to integrate computational think-
ing in K– 12 classrooms as compared to
the control group. The results from the
study indicate the potential to integrate
computational thinking for pre-service
teachers within existing teacher-edu-
cation courses. The authors used ex-
amples from daily life, as well as dis-
cipline-specific examples, to highlight
computational thinking to pre-service
teachers. For example, they used an ex-
ample of giving directions from point
A to point B to highlight what an algo-
rithm is (a step-by-step route), the ef-
ficiency of algorithms (how to provide
the best way to get from A to B), abstrac-
tion (how to effectively give any direc-
tion), and automation (how to design
a system like Google Maps). In another
example, Yadav et al. 29 showcased the
idea of parallel processing by discuss-
practice and offers recommendations
to prepare the next generation of com-
putationally literate teachers.

Computational Thinking
and Teacher Education

As discussed previously, researchers have argued that computational thinking needs to be on par with reading, writing, and arithmetic. 3, 28 Recent efforts to train teachers to embed computational thinking have focused on in-service teacher professional development, 18 but there is limited understanding of how to engage pre-service teachers from other content areas in computer science and computational thinking. 29 This complication is compounded by the fact that few teach-er-preparation institutions offer programs specifically for computer science teachers. Furthermore, certification and licensure of computer science teachers is deeply flawed, as detailed in the “Bugs in the System” report by the Computer Science Teacher Association. 8 It is vital that teacher education programs address the lack of teacher training around computer science ideas, given the burgeoning grassroots movement and impetus from governments to expand computer science learning opportunities in elementary and secondary classrooms, including the Computer Science For All initiative launched January 2016 in the U.S.

So how do teacher educators develop mechanisms to expose pre-service teachers to computational thinking constructs and understanding within the context of their subject areas? How do we develop pre-service teachers’ knowledgebase so they can provide relevant, engaging, and meaningful computational thinking experiences for their students? Darling-Hammond and Bransford12 proposed a framework that could be adapted to prepare teachers to incorporate computational thinking, articulating knowledge, skills, and dispositions that teachers should acquire and suggesting that teachers need knowledge of learners, as well as of subject matter and curriculum goals.

Teacher educators need to first devel-
op pre-service teachers’ knowledge and
skills on how to think computationally
and then how to teach their students to
think computationally. It is thus impera-
tive for pre-service teachers to under-
stand computational thinking in the
context of the subject area they will be
teaching. This requires them to have
deep understanding of their own disci-
pline and knowledge of how computa-
tional thinking concepts relate to what
students are learning in the classroom. 22

Moreover, the NRC report on the pedagogical aspects of computational thinking argued that teaching this content could put teachers in new and unfamiliar roles in classrooms where students collaborate to solve complex problems. It is thus important that teacher educators “build on what teachers know and feel comfortable doing.” 21

Developing pre-service teachers’ competencies to embed computational thinking in their future classrooms requires that they are taught to think computationally, as well as how to teach their students to think computationally, especially in the context of specific subject areas. Teacher-training programs are a natural place to introduce teachers to computational thinking and how to incorporate it in their content. A 2014 study by Yadav et al. 29 examined the influence of a one-week computational thinking module on pre-service teachers’ understanding and attitudes toward embedding computational thinking in their future classrooms. Pre-service teachers enrolled in a required introductory educational psychology course were divided into two groups. One (the con-

Project Lead the Way session at San José State University, San Jose, CA.