Analytical Methods and Tools for Evaluating the Development of Computational Thinking Abilities

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Bilbao J., Bilbao J., Bravo E., Pearls A., ÖZTÜRK H. T., Jankauskienė A., ...Daha Fazla

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, cilt.19, 2025 (ESCI) identifier

Özet

Javier Bilbao1,*, Eugenio Bravo1, Olatz García1, Carolina Rebollar1, Mikko-Jussi Laakso2, Heidi Kaarto2, Daranee Lehtonen2, Marika Parviainen2, Asta Jankauskienė3, Arnold Pears4,

Ismail Güven5, Yasemin Gulbahar5, Tugba Öztürk5, Nilüfer Tan Yenigün6, Zsuzsa Pluhár7, Pál Sarmasági7, Anikó Rumbus7, Valentina Dagienė8, Vaida Masiulionytė-Dagienė


omputational thinking has gained an

important place in modern education, enabling individuals

to approach problem-solving in a logical and structured

manner. This cross-curricular competence is important

and applicable in any field of science, not just for

computer science professionals. By fostering problem-

solving, critical thinking, and creativity, among other

skills, computational thinking is crucial in today's

education. In the digital age, computational thinking is not

just a technical skill, or one related to programming and

robotics, but a way of thinking that can transform, or at

least provide a different perspective, the way we approach

everyday challenges and opportunities in our daily lives.

To assess this new competency, analytical tools and

methods that are not too general are needed. To achieve

this, that is, to assess computational thinking, the process is

currently complex and requires a combination of

qualitative and quantitative methods. In this way,

analytical rubrics, portfolio analysis, and standardized

tests are essential tools that help provide a comprehensive

and accurate assessment of students' skills related to this competence. In our project, we also work on assessing

computational thinking using Bebras-type tasks and

applying data analysis. Data analysis facilitates the

continuous improvement of teaching and assessment

methods. By monitoring and analyzing data over time,

educators can identify the most effective strategies and

make adjustments to improve learning outcomes.

In this paper, we introduce COMATH, an assessment

tool grounded in research, which has undergone two

phases of piloting across six counties. This process involved

collaboration with subject-matter experts and the

participation of over 4500 students and 100 teachers. We

employ tasks designed to evaluate computational thinking

and share some of the findings we have gathered to date.