Q0 – What is Computational Thinking?

Computational thinking means thinking like a computer scientist – applying the methods used by computer scientists to problem solving.

Q1 – History

Year Event
1980 First suggested as an algorithmic approach to problem solving by Seymour Papert
Recent years Championed (sostenuto) again notably by Jeanette Wing and her colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University

Q2 – A New Direction

Computational thinking involves applying a thought process to open-ended problems – a relatively new direction for Computer Science.

In the early days of computing, most problems tackled (affrontati) by computers were closed problems.

Q3 – From Closed to Human Problems

Computer scientists discovered that the methods developed for fairly closed problems could be extended to more 'human' problems – those that do not always suggest neat solutions, in other words, the problems of most of normal existence.

It has therefore become apparent that the disciplines developed by computer scientists have wider applications and can be deployed (utilizzati) profitably across all sorts of areas and disciplines.

Q4 – What Computational Thinking Helps Us Do

In summary, computational thinking helps us to:

  1. Look at a complex problem;
  2. Understand it;
  3. Formulate a solution that can be implemented by a computer, a human, or a combination of both.