Unplugged Learning: Recognizing Computational Thinking in Everyday Life

Introduction

In the years before writing this chapter, we have had numerous conversations with members of the DevTech research group and colleagues about whether computers are necessary for children to learn computational thinking (CT). Many expressed the view that computers are an integral and inseparable part of computer science (CS) education. Although the precise definition of CT and its implications for education are still debated, in this chapter we attempt to unpack the distinctions between CS, CT and unplugged learning for the purpose of envisioning a more equitable and inclusive computational pedagogy.

While it is hard to imagine CS education without computers, the logic, algorithms and other processes that contribute to CT have always been an important part of everyday life even before computers came into existence. After all, if it had been impossible to think “computationally” before the advent of computers, how would humans have invented them in the first place?

These questions mirror the rise of a national debate about the place of technology in computer science education. Critics of unplugged learning (notably, Huang & Looi, 2020) have argued that some CS concepts may be impossible to divorce from the technological medium of computers, and that school-based curricula that seek to teach CS concepts without computers are under-researched. We wholeheartedly agree with Huang and Looi’s conclusion that more research is needed to understand whether and how “unplugged” learning that takes place without computers or other technology can support engagement with CS.

However, we argue that the debate is far from settled about whether unplugged learning can effectively support the development of computational thinking concepts. In this chapter, we use Bers’ definition of CT concepts as those discipline-agnostic ideas, such as algorithmic logic and iterative design, that are foundational to CS, but not necessarily exclusive or unique to it. While education research is still exploring the relationships among tech tools, unplugged learning, and CS education, we propose that unplugged activities may engage children in CT skills practice, which may be beneficial for general development even beyond CS learning. For example, CS education has long faced criticism for lack of inclusion among girls, minorities, learners with disabilities, and learners unable to access tech tools and experiences. These inequities cause early gaps in CS achievement that last throughout a child’s academic life and even long into adulthood, impacting career opportunities and contributing to a stratified CS workforce (Brackmann et al., 2017; Margolis et al., 2017; Wang & Hejazi Moghadam, 2017). By engaging children in unplugged CT learning, beginning with familiar early childhood activities, children may be able to build a foundation of CT awareness to mitigate gaps in CS readiness, and even the playing field for later pre-professional training.