ERIC Number: EJ1473304
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-8756-3894
EISSN: EISSN-1559-7075
Available Date: 2025-02-17
From Programming to Prompting: Developing Computational Thinking through Large Language Model-Based Generative Artificial Intelligence
TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, v69 n3 p485-506 2025
The advancement of large language model-based generative artificial intelligence (LLM-based GenAI) has sparked significant interest in its potential to address challenges in computational thinking (CT) education. CT, a critical problem-solving approach in the digital age, encompasses elements such as abstraction, iteration, and generalisation. However, its abstract nature often poses barriers to meaningful teaching and learning. This paper proposes a constructionist prompting framework that leverages LLM-based GenAI to foster CT development through natural language programming and prompt engineering. By engaging learners in crafting and refining prompts, the framework aligns CT elements with five prompting principles, enabling learners to apply and develop CT in contextual and organic ways. A three-phase workshop is proposed to integrate the framework into teacher education, equipping future teachers to support learners in developing CT through interactions with LLM-based GenAI. The paper concludes by exploring the framework's theoretical, practical, and social implications, advocating for its implementation and validation.
Descriptors: Programming, Prompting, Computation, Thinking Skills, Artificial Intelligence, Problem Solving, Natural Language Processing, Teacher Workshops, Engineering
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Dublin City University, School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, Institute of Education, Dublin, Ireland