Working on Interdisciplinary Projects to Strengthen Creative Computational Thinking and to Support Talent Development

• Published in: Computer Supported Education Vol. 1473; pp. 317 - 340
• Main Authors: Hinterplattner, Sara, Sabitzer, Barbara, Skogø, Jakob S.
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Springer International Publishing AG 2021; Springer International Publishing
• Series: Communications in Computer and Information Science
• Subjects: Computational thinking; Creativity; Gifted education; Interdisciplinarity; Project-based learning
• ISBN: 3030864383; 9783030864385
• ISSN: 1865-0929; 1865-0937
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-86439-2_17

Interdisciplinary projects have the potential to strengthen creative computational thinking of students and to support the development of their talents. When interdisciplinary projects and real-world problems are combined students are required to use their creativity, academical knowledge and exert interdisciplinary thinking. To develop students’ talents creating community and offer freedom of choice in their ways of working are seen as very beneficial. The Children’s Congress connects these aspects aiming at inspiring students to work with computational thinking in different subjects as well as promoting the concept of working in an interdisciplinary way. In this project teachers, university students, and students from primary or secondary school work together to develop a digital product. In this process the students slip into the role of researchers and scientist. This paper provides an overview of the pedagogical concept behind the Children’s Congress and the evaluation connected to the implementation of the three pillars of honors education. For this, different studies were conducted including interviews and questionnaires with school students, university students, and teachers participating in the project. This paper focuses on the results found in the questionnaires from the supporting university students and teachers and connects them with previous findings. It is shown that the Children’s Congress includes all pillars of honors education and that this concept was experienced as very beneficial for both school- and university students as well as for teachers. Moreover, the Children’s Congress was seen as a good opportunity to strengthen creative computational thinking and to support students in their talent development.