Computational Thinking in Undergraduate Pre-Service Special Education Programs

Abstract

In the 21^st century, an increased emphasis on integrating computational literacy within classrooms occurred (Bouck & Yadav, 2020). This learning representation aims to equip preservice special education teachers (PSSETs) with tools to deliver inclusive computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS) instruction, fostering an understanding of CT/CS concepts and promotes integration across content areas. This technology-rich learning representation employs robots, interactive whiteboards, and a blend of unplugged and plugged CT activities to demonstrate how CT can be integrated into a PK-12 classroom. This learning representation concludes with an assessment tasking PSSETs to create an activity integrating CT. This approach prepares PSSETs to provide equitable and accessible CT/CS education, aligning with current educational priorities.