Cthink.it. A board-game for computational thinking in early years

Abstract

Computational Thinking (CT) refers to a specific set of mental skills used to formulate solutions to problems by converting given inputs to produce appropriate outputs while following detailed algorithms to perform this process. Essentially, CT is broadly defined as a combination of thinking processes which include abstraction, algorithm design, decomposition, pattern recognition and data representation. Board-games can be used in the educational process as a learning tool while creating an attractive and authentic learning environment, providing an educational approach which is transdisciplinary, developing and utilizing multiple skills. Using board-games in Early Childhood Education (ECE) cultivates students' social skills, 21st century skills and cognitive skills, while helping them to increase their motivation and achieve the objectives of the curriculum framework. In this paper, the aforementioned areas are combined through the presentation of a board-game that was designed within the CThink.it Erasmus+ project (2022-1-MT01-KA220-SCH-000086903) for cultivating CT competency in the early years. The backstory is a toy, lost in a museum and through a series of activities, it is to be returned to the child-owner. Prior to designing the game, a systematic literature review was conducted so as to provide foundation for the game itself and a set of associated lesson plans. The produced materials were pilot tested in schools. The paper aims to provide preliminary data for the game evaluation, focusing on the issues of playability, age appropriateness, connection to curricula and the teachers’ perspective on the usability of the game as teaching resource for ECE. For that, the research methodology will be presented, along with preliminary findings.