“Why can’t you just do what I asked you to do?”

“I said it clear enough, didn’t I?”

So often statements such as these spring to mind when we give someone an instruction and they seem to be unable to do what has been asked of them. Within our own minds it may be perfectly clear what we expect of that individual, but clearly there is something missing in the translation. To gain insight into this exact problem, we can look to the field of computational thinking.

Contrary to popular belief, this is not the idea that we should all think like computers or computer scientists. Instead, it focuses upon thinking about complex problems and attempting to develop solutions in a way that a computer or human can understand. In addition, we can use our technical skills to make use of computers in helping us to solve such problems. In this way, developing skills in computational thinking allows children to see the importance of providing clear and concise instructions that leave no room for ambiguity, particularly in the case of algorithms – the exercises on jam sandwich and pizza making will be particularly useful in conveying this message!

The field itself has close links to mathematical thinking and logical reasoning, but there is the potential for application across a large chunk of the curriculum. There are links to science when we use decision tree keys for classification or in design and technology when we are creating something – the possibilities are seemingly endless. In this way then a solid education in computing in the primary classroom will have many cross-curricular benefits.