Abstract:

Computational Thinking (CT) is a problem-solving process that can lead to programming solutions. It is becoming one of the essential skills for students to master in this 21st century. Educators found that CT is a cognitive process which is cross-disciplinary. As such, CT skills with their components (decomposition, pattern generalisation, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking) can be incorporated or embedded in any subject area. The students learn how to approach a problem and solve it using reasoning, analytical skills, creativity and logic while demonstrating content knowledge. The purpose of this study is to examine the development and implementation of CT modules for pre-university students at the University of Technology Sarawak, a Sarawak State University in Malaysia. With the force of the global pandemic (COVID-19), physical classes had to be shifted to remote learning through a virtual setting. As a result, CT modules were utilised in the online learning environment. The research was an experimental design conducted with a pre-test and a post-test in which the intervention of the CT modules was applied to the pre-university students in Foundation in Arts (FIA) and Foundation in Science (FIS). Online questionnaires were used to collect the data from a total of 182 respondents. This study presented a comparison of the students’ prior knowledge of CT with the findings after the intervention. The results showed that the implementation of the CT modules has significantly enhanced the students’ confidence, interest, perception of gender efficacy and the usefulness of CT skills with an inclination towards programming as a future career. The practical implications of the research findings were then discussed. This study can greatly contribute to the framework of CT implementation in STEM education.

Keywords:

Computational Thinking, 21st Century Skill, Pre-university Students, Remote Learning, STEM Education.