Assessing Young Children’s Computational Thinking: A Cognitive Diagnostic Approach

• In Event: Cognition and Assessment SIG Paper Session

Abstract

The goal of this study is to investigate mastery status of young children’s computational thinking (CT) using a cognitive diagnostic model (CDM) approach. We analyzed data from the Computational and Spatial Thinking (CaST) assessment for 271 children. We extracted five key attributes of CT needed to solve tasks: Counting on, enacting a program, rotation on a point, fixing buggy programs, and spatial orientation. CDM analyses yielded that children had high mastery of fixing buggy codes and low mastery of spatial rotation. The dominant mastery profiles were associated with whether these two attributes were mastered. Analysis did not find any items with differential item functioning (DIF), but we found significant differences in mastery probabilities by gender and age groups.

Authors

• Chungsoo Na, Utah State University

• Jody E. Clarke-Midura, Utah State University

• Wilhelmina van Dijk, Florida State University

• Jessica F. Shumway, Utah State University

• Victor R. Lee, Stanford University