Computational thinking in the classroom: the challenge in Latin American education systems

Abstract

Nowadays, different countries of the world have focused their efforts on raising the quality standards of their national educational systems. Among the priorities appears as one of the most relevant those related to digital literacy, understood as the skills that every citizen must develop to be considered literate in the 21st century. These competencies refer to the ability to use digital sources effectively. It is a special type of mentality or thought (Zapata-Ros, 2015). With this we try to explain the conception and the approach that we have regarding this type of literacy typical of contemporary societies, that is, computerized or known as societies of knowledge and information: a type of literacy that emphasizes cognitive aspects of work in digital environments compared to other definitions that conceptualize it focusing on the technical skills involved in the use of digital devices.

In this sense, the present monograph considers that the previous absence of the development of such competencies makes it difficult to practice other abilities of computational thinking (PC) that involve the resolution of problems through the use of computer computers or in their absence.

From the above, the concern and the object of reflection of this work is directed towards knowing if the selected Latin American countries, namely Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Mexico, have incorporated their own skills and abilities within their public education policies of the PC and what have been the strategies implemented to specify it. Finally, the text questions the conception about the PC that is deduced from the policies and strategies implemented, providing a conclusion that highlights the approaches to how the learning of the competences involved is conceived.