Young children’s embodied computational thinking developed with touchscreen mathematics applications

This study focuses on the computational thinking (CT) competence young children develop in a touchscreen application, TouchCounts, in a mathematical problem-solving context, as well as the way CT competence were demonstrated by children verbally and with their bodily actions. We adopt four widely accepted CT components—problem decomposition, pattern recognition, algorithmic thinking, and abstraction—that are particularly relevant for young learners, and we selected episodes of two children working with TouchCounts during a number pattern task to analyse their hand movements performed on (and off) the touchscreen, that are not conventionally recognised as CT, but could potentially be reframed through the lens of CT. Our results demonstrate children’s CT development with touchscreen applications as an age-appropriate pedagogical approach which enables young learners to decompose problems into smaller steps, develop algorithmic thinking, recognize recognise patterns, and handling abstract concepts. This study contributes toward understanding the incorporation of tactile movements and bodily actions (on touchscreen devices) in learning and communicating computer science concepts—as a form of embodied CT, as well as how it can be supported in non-traditional programming environments.