Analysis of algorithmic strategy development in the development of computational thinking of upper elementary school students

Abstract

Computational thinking has become a thinking ability that we need to master in our daily lives. Programming is a way to cultivate computational thinking. This study focuses on the algorithmic links of senior primary school students in programming activities, puts forward a hierarchical table of algorithmic strategies, and analyzes their strategic development paths according to their programming behaviors.In this paper, Swift Playgrounds, developed by Apple Company, is selected as the tool of programming activities, and three levels are selected as the teaching content in the three theme activities of Learning Programming 1 in Swift Playgrounds software. The target audience of the activities is the senior (fourth to sixth grade) students in primary schools. This paper studies the design of the micro-generation method, carries out programming activities based on computational thinking for students through pre-test, practice, post-test and migration stages, and collects data by interview and classroom observation so as to analyze the development path of students' algorithm strategies in different stages and the change track of algorithm strategies in each stage.This study provides some support for teachers' teaching in programming teaching activities.