Learning Transfer

From game design to simulation design, including changes in CTPA graph shapes.

Learning Transfer

Computational Thinking Pattern Analysis (CTPA) is a tool that can be used to analyze student-created artifacts in order to identify and measure their computational thinking skills. CTPA does this by breaking down student work into nine different computational thinking patterns, and then assigning a score to each pattern based on how well it is represented in the work. The scores for each pattern are then combined to create a overall computational thinking score.

CTPA has been shown to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring computational thinking skills. In a study published in the Proceedings of the 2014 conference on Innovation & technology in computer science education, CTPA was found to be able to accurately distinguish between students who had been taught computational thinking and those who had not.

The study also found that CTPA was able to identify changes in students' computational thinking skills over time. This suggests that CTPA can be used to track student progress in computational thinking, and to identify areas where students may need additional support.

The results of this study suggest that CTPA is a valuable tool for measuring computational thinking skills. CTPA can be used to identify students who are struggling with computational thinking, and to provide them with the support they need to succeed. CTPA can also be used to track student progress over time, and to identify areas where students may need additional support.

In the left figure, the student's CTPA graph for his science simulation is quite similar to the combined CTPA graphs of Sokoban and Sims. This suggests that the student was able to transfer the computational thinking skills he learned in game design to his science simulation. This is an important finding, as it suggests that computational thinking skills are transferable to other domains.

The ability to transfer computational thinking skills to other domains is essential for students who want to succeed in today's economy. Computational thinking skills are increasingly in demand in a variety of fields, including science, engineering, and business. CTPA is a valuable tool that can be used to help students develop these essential skills.