Vijay Garg
Students get hooked on computational studies easily as it is versatile and offers numerous opportunities to solve problems across various fields
In today’s digital age, people from every walk of life are familiarising themselves with computing in some form or the other. Much like reading and writing, computing is being adopted as a fundamental tool for finding solutions to everyday problems.
Computing devices gained popularity and burgeoned into widely used tools to solve personal and industrial problems in the 21st century. Efforts are being made globally to adopt digital gadgets in K 12 and Higher education curricula to enable problem-solving via digital tools. In India, the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) also emphasises the same.
Computational study is often confused with computer programming. Computer studies is a thought process, whereas computer programming involves the mastery of programming languages to logically implement solutions.
According to Jeannette Wing (2000), Computational Thinking is a process that enables us to take a complex problem, understand it and develop possible solutions that a computer, human, or both, can understand.
Hemmendinger (2010) referred to computational studies as a method that teaches students to think like an economist, a physicist, or an artist, to understand how computation can be leveraged to solve their problems. Moreover, it nurtures creativity and curiosity to explore new questions and delve deep into understanding its intricacies.
Students get hooked on computational studies easily as it is versatile and offers numerous opportunities to solve problems across various fields, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Economics, Management, and Social Sciences.
Computational studies provide a platform for students to implement solutions that are crafted from computational thinking. This virtual environment is safer, faster, and more cost-effective than traditional laboratory experiments. Students immerse themselves in this exciting field of study and enjoy tackling new challenges as it offers them the opportunity to experience contemporary technologies.
Several universities have introduced Computational Thinking concepts to students from different branches of study such as Data Science, Psychology, Economics, Management, and Design. Students are encouraged to identify complex problems from a domain of their interest. The concepts absorbed in Computational Thinking are applied to understand the problem and develop possible solutions in a way that a computer, a human, or both, can understand its implementation. Moreover, students are introduced to an open-source environment to build digital products using tools such as 3D models, Augmented Reality, Chat Bots, Web page development software, Face tracking software, Image tracking software, and IoT tools to implement solutions. Some interesting problems solved by students include supply chain optimi-sation, searching for a bus in the stand and employing Vitruvian Man golden ratio to design a logo, etc.
Computational thinking is an essential skill for students to develop as it promotes problem-solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning, creativity, and innovation. It also supports technology and data literacy, prepares students for the future workforce, supports scientific discovery creates an urge to reach out for social good and enhances learning across domains. Moreover, it is a fun and engaging way for students to learn!
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