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The widespread inclusion of experts and practitioners in educational settings to teach and collaboratively learn can help alleviate a multitude of systemic problems. A new, inclusive path to teach youth the skills needed to utilise the problem solving approach named computational thinking is explored in this case study. During 2020 remote learning...
Citations
... The students over the last two years gathered a lot of information about useful online learning and were again asked to give their expert input. The findings of this workshop have been published published at the 2021 EdMedia+ Innovate Learning conference (Pollak et al., 2021). ...
The leap from formal education to a modern work environment is often surprisingly difficult. Having young people struggle in these transitional periods while entrepreneurs and businesses strive to merge new team members is a worthy cause to investigate. The process of teacher education can not adequately cope with the intensity of technological and methodological progress. Based on expert-driven, participatory workshops in Austria, the effects and benefits of practitioner integration are evaluated. In multiple stages based on an action research methodology, the problem-solving approach of Computational Thinking (CT) was introduced to learners aged 16 to 18 (K-12) with the help of outside practitioners. This research project reveals the immense potential of expert integration in a secondary school classroom setting. The primary research question of "What consequences has practitioner integration on Computational Thinking education?" is answered. With the development of sustainable, interdisciplinary interfaces between teaching staff and industry experts a multitude of systemic problems in the educational system can be mitigated and the missing link to Computational Thinking education established. With all involved stakeholders and driven by the needs of young learners a robust and inclusive path to practitioner integrated Computational Thinking education is established.
... The students over the last two years gathered a lot of information about useful online learning and were again asked to give their expert input. The findings of this workshop have been published published at the 2021 EdMedia+ Innovate Learning conference (Pollak et al., 2021). ...
This pilot study implemented an expert driven participatory workshop in a rural Austrian
economic school. An action research approach was utilised to introduce the problem solving
method named computational thinking (CT) to students aged 16 to 18 (K-12) in five after school
workshop sessions. This research revealed the basic benefits of industry expert integration in a
classroom setting with the aim to develop sustainable interdisciplinary interfaces that allow schools
and individual teachers to independently showcase possible pathways. Drawbacks of the methods
were identified, for example the high overhead efforts currently required without interfaces
between practitioners and educators in place or the demanding time requirements. To create a
strong, inclusive path to CT education for all young minds, these challenges need to be addressed
and ultimately overcome with the support of all involved stakeholders.
