JeongWon Choi

Computing Education in Korea—Current Issues and Endeavors

Computer education has been provided for a long period of time in Korea. Starting as a vocational program, the content of computer education for students evolved to include content on computer literacy, Information Communication Technology (ICT) literacy, and brand-new computer science. While a new curriculum related to computer science was established in 2007, the range of computer education being provided in Korean schools has been repeatedly reduced. To identify the cause of this recent phenomenon, we review the computer education environment using the Darmstadt model, including educational systems, curricula, and teaching environments. Then we examine what factors affected the decline of computer education. The major causes of failure are found to be the absence of policy and a comprehensive evaluation method. These causes have led to a reduction in the selection ratio of computer-related subjects and in the number of students taking computer classes. Based on this understanding, we bring some fundamental message for establishing robust computer science education.

Puzzle Based Algorithm Learning for Cultivating Computational Thinking

Computational thinking (CT), which is the core of the Computer Science field, is an essential thinking process to solve problems effectively and efficiently using computing systems. Learners must be able to design algorithms, identify the appropriate algorithm design skill for a specific problem, and apply it to the problem. Aiming to stimulate learners’ interest in learning algorithm design skills, we developed puzzle-based algorithm learning program that has a user-friendly format tailored to real-world scenario. We investigated the effect of this puzzle-based algorithm learning program on learners’ CT abilities. The results provide evidence that puzzle based algorithm learning program is effective for developing learners’ CT. The study suggests that puzzle based algorithm learning is worth as a learning model for improving CT of learners.