Instructional Design and Practice of an Interactive Animation Course for the Cultivation of Computational Thinking Ability With the Support of Flowcharts

ABSTRACT Computational thinking (CT) has received considerable attention as a key competency in education, yet effective approaches for developing CT remain limited. This quasi‐experimental study included 63 undergraduates to examine the effects of flowchart‐supported learning on CT. The experimental group received flowchart scaffolding and was split into high‐ and low‐scoring subgroups based on flowchart application scores, while the control group received conventional instruction. Results showed no significant between‐group differences in general CT after one semester, indicating that general CT is a relatively stable construct. Within the experimental group, however, students with high flowchart application scores exhibited significantly greater creativity and problem‐solving. Moreover, the experimental group performed significantly better on the individual comprehensive course project assessing practical CT. Findings suggest that although flowcharts did not improve self‐reported general CT in the short term, they significantly enhanced domain‐specific practical CT and, among proficient users, were associated with stronger domain‐specific cognitive CT abilities. This study provides empirical support for flowcharts as cognitive scaffolding in engineering education and their integration into courses emphasizing project‐based practice and logical reasoning.