Computational thinking lesson in improving digital literacy for rural area children via CS unplugged

Irma Yuliana

Abstract

The advantage of computational tools over human brains is the speed, but the initiative ability of human brains is not owned by computational tools. The perfect combination of thinking and computing lays the foundation of science and gives birth to a series of achievements in technology. The introduction of technology through the subjects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in schools nowadays is just limited to using the applications. Computational thinking gives knowledge that builds structural thinking, critical power, and creativity by learning the computing process itself. These are what people need to enhance digital literacy. The way to learn it could be in many strategies. CS Unplugged was used in this research to deliver computational thinking in a simple way related to minimum infrastructure in the remote area for the children at elementary schools. Some activities were done as kinaesthetic learning in certain topics of CS Unplugged. This kind of method does not need some computer devices to get children closer to computer science. A challenge was given to assess the ability of ICT learning which is computational thinking. The children show their enthusiasm for learning, proved by their final score in a challenge. The children?s score significantly improved in learning ICT by using CS Unplugged. ? 2021 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.

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