• DOI:10.1145/3287324.3287431
• Corpus ID: 67866652

PRADA: A Practical Model for Integrating Computational Thinking in K-12 Education

@article{Dong2019PRADAAP,
  title={PRADA: A Practical Model for Integrating Computational Thinking in K-12 Education},
  author={Yihuan Dong and Veronica Catet{\'e} and Robin Jocius and Nicholas Lytle and Tiffany Barnes and Jennifer L. Albert and Deepti Joshi and Richard Robinson and Ashley Andrews},
  journal={Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education},
  year={2019}
}

• Yihuan Dong, Veronica Cateté, +6 authors Ashley Andrews
• Published 22 February 2019
• Education
• Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

One way to increase access to education on computing is to integrate computational thinking (CT) into K12 disciplinary courses. However, this challenges teachers to both learn CT and decide how to best integrate CT into their classes. In this position paper, we present PRADA, an acronym for Pattern Recognition, Abstraction, Decomposition, and Algorithms, as a practical and understandable way of introducing the core ideas of CT to non-computing teachers. We piloted the PRADA model in two, separate, week-long professional development workshops designed for in-service middle and high school teachers and found that the PRADA model supported teachers in making connections between CT and their current course material. Initial findings, which emerged from the analysis of teacher-created learning materials, survey responses, and focus group interviews, indicate that the PRADA model supported core content teachers in successfully infusing CT into their existing curricula and increased their self-efficacy in CT integration.