Computational Thinking to build problem-solving Singaporeans

PETALING JAYA: Like Malaysia, Singapore also takes technology seriously and sees it as a necessary 21st-century skill.

However, it has taken on a different tack in making sure its population is ready for the future, opting to embed “Computational Thinking” into the school system.

Computational Thinking is the process by which programmers approach and solve problems when they build applications, which can be applied to other fields such as science and even the arts.

Many educators have advocated the importance of teaching Computational Thinking and its related concepts such as coding and algorithmic thinking, said Prof Looi Chee Kit, head of the Learning Sciences Lab, National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University.

“Distilled down to its most fundamental elements, Computational Thinking comprises four parts: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking.

“With these four skills, one can specify the solution to a problem, which can then be executed by a computer or human following instructions. Computational Thinking has been so widely used in other fields such as science, mathematics and even social science that it no longer describes something unique to the computing field,” he wrote in an essay for Singapore’s InfocommMedia Development Authority (IMDA).

IMDA develops and regulates the converging IT and media sectors in Singapore.

Prof Looi said his research group interviewed some students taking O-Level computing to find out if they were able to apply their computing knowledge to real-life issues.

One student said that “through computing, I know that a big problem can be broken down into small ones to conquer. Almost every day I use this.”

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the minister in charge of Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, said the ultimate idea is “one where citizens are active co-creators and problem-solvers, rather than passively waiting on the government to solve every real-life problem”.

According to a European Union report on education, 10 countries in Europe (Denmark, France, Finland, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Poland, Turkey, England, Scotland) recently concluded an education reform process that includes Computational Thinking and related concepts.