Coding

Scratch logos (Source: MIT, scratch.mit.edu)

Developing coding, or programming, skills is about learning to take greater control of some of the key channels of self-expression, communication and creation in the digital era. Consequently, code literacy – along with its subliteracy, AI literacy – can be viewed as one of the core digital literacies (for more detail, see below). When students develop an ability to code, they are no longer limited by the restrictive design templates of commercially available web platforms and apps; they are able to exercise more control over their own self-expression and communication online; and they are able to contribute as creative producers and not just consumers in the digital ecosystem.

Computational thinking

Prior to beginning to learn coding, students may be introduced to computational thinking, a way of thinking which involves creative problem solving. The entry of this notion into school education has been described as follows:

Though there has long been interest in computer programming and the associated theories of computation (Papert, 1980), Wing (2006) is widely considered to have reignited the current interest in computational thinking for K-12 education, or “CT for all” (Grover & Pea, 2013). This movement is based on several “big ideas” about computing. First, computing is considered a creative human activity. Second, abstraction reduces information and detail in order to focus on concepts relevant to problem solving. Third, data and information facilitate the creation of knowledge. Finally, computing enables innovation in other fields. Given the role computing plays in students’ lives today, computational thinking is an important skill for the 21st century (Wing, 2006; Yadav, et al., 2014).

Source: Deschryver, M.D., & Yadav, A. (2015). Creative and computational thinking in the context of new literacies: Working with teachers to scaffold complex technology-mediated approaches to teaching and learning. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 23(3), 411-431.

It has been suggested that it is important to begin introducing learners to computational thinking from an early age:

As computational devices, and the algorithms that drive them, become more pervasive in children’s lives, it becomes necessary to empower all children with the understanding and confidence not only to navigate their environment but to shape it.

Source: Manches, A., & Plowman, L. (2017). Computing education in children’s early years: A call for debate. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(1), 191-201.

Learning computational thinking & coding

Computational thinking >  For practical exercises on computational thinking, see Code.org’s Computational Thinking. CS Unplugged provides free printable resources for teaching computational thinking. You might also like to check out the Bebras initiative, or the Blockly Games.

Coding >  Basic computer programming for children (from kindergarten to grade 3) can be practised at  CodeSpark Academy (now a paid site, but with a free trial available). Based on a simplified programming language, Scratch Jr helps children (aged 5-7) learn coding before they graduate to the main Scratch site. The Raspberry Pi Foundation provides coding resources for young learners and teachers. Other options for young learners include SAM Labs, while Ozaria (a paid site, but with some free resources) can be used up to K12. If students have access to tablets, they can start with the Osmo attachment which involves adding an external camera to track building blocks assembled into command sequences, while the Swift Playgrounds app uses similar commands but on an iPad or Mac screen.

For more resources, including for older learners, you might like to check out the following sites:

• • Best Apps and Websites for Learning Programming and Coding (Common Sense Education, n.d.)
  • The Best Block-Based Coding Tools for Beginners (Christine Elgersma/Common Sense Education, 2022)
  • The Best Coding Tools That Go Beyond the Basics (Christine Elgersma/Common Sense Education, 2022)
  • Code.org

Note that AI coding tools are now beginning to appear; one example is OpenAI Codex.

Global initiatives which help participants to learn coding include Codecademy (which offers interactive programming courses). CoderDojo is an international movement of school- and community-based coding clubs.

Professional development programmes and events for educators, with a particular focus on the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum, are available through CSER (Computer Science Education Research) Digital Technologies Education at the University of Adelaide, while the Australian Digital Technologies Curriculum is helpfully unpacked into its 10 major components on the Grok Academy’s Helping Teachers Implement Digital Technologies webpage.

Robotics >  The link between learning about computational thinking/coding and learning about robotics has become firmly established in education. From a young age, students can begin to learn coding by programming actions into simple robots such as the Journey robots (starting with the Bee-Bot, intended for young learners, or the accompanying Bee-Bot app that can be used by young learners instead of, or in addition to, the robots themselves); or the Ozobot robots (which can be programmed through OzoBlockly). Some of the most popular robots for learning coding are to be found in the lists below:

• • Best Coding and STEM Toys for Kids 2023 (Simon Jary/Tech Advisor, 2023)
  • Coding Robots for Kids (Kaitlyn Siu/Teach Your Kids Code, 2023)
  • Best Coding Robots for Kids (Nine Planets, n.d.)

AI >  In our era of generative AI, it is becoming important to help students develop the AI literacy to understand and work with AI. One starting place might be to have students design customised GPTs, which does not require programming knowledge but does require some understanding of AI; for further details, see the Generative AI page of this website. For resources to develop students’ AI literacy skills, see:

• • The AI Education Project (n.d.)
  • AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6-12 (Common Sense Education, 2024)

Code literacy > Code literacy is a macroliteracy which not only involves the development of computational thinking and coding skills, but subsumes two subliteracies, technological literacy (focused on understanding technological processes in general) and AI literacy (focused on understanding AI and algorithms based on deep learning, and working with this technology in effective ways). For further detail, see the Digital Literacies page.

More references on this topic are available on the Publications on Digital Learning page.

Last update: April 2024.