Desenvolvendo o pensamento computacional no nível superior através de estratégias de ensino para programação em cursos de outras áreas.

Abstract

Computational Thinking (CT) is defined as a problem-solving approach that encompasses essential cognitive processes such as abstraction, decomposition, algorithms, evaluation, and generalization, being a transversal and valuable tool for several fields of knowledge in an increasingly digital society. The main objective of this research is to promote CT teaching and learning in higher education courses outside the field of computing. The central issue lies in the limited curricular integration of CT in these programs, the lack of awareness, and the absence of clear guidelines and specific educational resources. To address this gap, a teaching-learning strategy called CTProgHE was proposed and evaluated, applied in courses that include programming components but are not from computing areas. In this study, the course Introduction to Computer Science (ICC) was used. This methodology is an adaptation of a previous educational process (CTProgER), developed for technical education and now adjusted for higher education. CTProgHE is based on problem-based learning (PBL), using the Python programming language and the Google Colab environment. The research, classified as applied, explanatory, combined (qualitative and quantitative), and experimental, involved a validation study with 178 undergraduate students from non-computing programs. Pre- and post-intervention tests (Román-Gonzalez’s CT Test) were used to assess the impact of the methodology. The results indicated a weak general relationship between course syllabi and CT competencies. However, the intervention applied to the Experimental Group (EG) demonstrated superior performance in CT skills compared to the Control Group (CG). The main contributions of the study include the development of an educational process for teaching programming aligned with CT in higher education, the generation of evidence on the impact of this process, and the provision of materials and guidance for educators to implement these strategies in non-computing courses.