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Assessing Computational Thinking: Development and Validation of the Algorithmic Thinking Test for Adults

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posted on 2021-10-04, 22:11 authored by Marc Lafuente MartínezMarc Lafuente Martínez, Olivier Lévêque, Isabel Benítez Baena, Cécile Hardebolle, Jessica Dehler Zufferey
This study describes the development and validation process of a computational thinking (CT) test for adults. The team designed a set of items and explored a subset of those through a couple of qualitative pilots. Then, in order to provide validity evidence based on the test content, a team of 11 subject-matter experts coded the initial pool of items using two different systems of categories based on CT components and contents. Then the items were piloted on a sample of 289 participants, 137 experts in CT and 152 novices. After a series of confirmatory factor analyses, a unidimensional model that represents algorithmic thinking was adopted. After analyzing the psychometric quality of the 27 items, 20 of them with excellent reliability indices were finally selected for the test. Thus, this study provides a tool to evaluate adults’ CT: the Algorithmic Thinking Test for Adults (ATTA), which was developed according to psychometric standards. This article also reflects on the nature of CT as a construct.

Funding

EPFL-LEARN funds

History

Declaration of conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest

Corresponding author email

marc.lafuentem@gmail.com

Lead author country

  • Switzerland

Lead author job role

  • Higher Education Researcher

Lead author institution

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Human Participants

  • Yes

Ethics statement

We certify that all subjects involved in this study gave their consent to participate in it and that this study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (HREC No: 045-2020).

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