Developing a kindergarten computational thinking assessment using evidence-centered design: the case of algorithmic thinking
Background and Context: There is a need for early childhood assessments of computational thinking (CT). However, there is not consensus on a guiding framework, definition, or set of proxies in which to measure CT. We are addressing this problem by using Evidence Centered Design (ECD) to develop an a...
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Published in | Computer science education Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 117 - 140 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Norwood
Routledge
03.04.2021
Taylor & Francis Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Background and Context: There is a need for early childhood assessments of computational thinking (CT). However, there is not consensus on a guiding framework, definition, or set of proxies in which to measure CT. We are addressing this problem by using Evidence Centered Design (ECD) to develop an assessment of kindergarten-aged children's CT.
Objective: To present a design case on the development of the assessment, specifically the algorithmic thinking (AT) tasks and to share validity evidence that emerged.
Method: We focus on the AT sub-component of CT and present the principled assessment design process using ECD.
Findings: Our operationalization of CT includes spatial reasoning as a sub-component. Pilot results showed an acceptable internal consistency reliability for the AT items and critical design decisions that contributed to validity evidence.
Implications: An important contribution of this work is the inclusion of spatial reasoning in our definition of early childhood CT. |
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ISSN: | 0899-3408 1744-5175 |
DOI: | 10.1080/08993408.2021.1877988 |