Computational Thinking

Introduction

Welcome to this course which will take you from computational thinking to code. I think when a lot of people hear computational thinking, they think programming, but computational thinking is not just about programming. Computational thinking is an approach to solving problems using concepts and ideas from computer science, and expressing solutions to those problems so that they can be run on a computer. 

Computational thinking involves breaking down a problem in smaller parts, looking for patterns in those sub-problems, figuring out what information is needed, and developing a step-by-step solution. Computational thinking is used everywhere by many different types of people. It isn't just computer scientists and engineers who use computational thinking, but also professionals in business, medicine, education, life sciences, social sciences, all of these use computational thinking, to solve real-world problems. You don't have to be a computer scientist to think like a computer scientist.

Understanding computational thinking will give you a foundation for solving problems, and will be one of the fundamental core skills in all walks of life in the 21st century. More importantly, computational thinking can be used to solve problems they have real-world social impact. For example, mapping the human genome, predicting the spread of infectious disease, coordinating disaster relief efforts, and understanding the impact of government policies. It's not just about making apps or creating games, It's about using computing, to make a positive change in our world.

You will learn a lot of other important concepts that take you from computational thinking to code. Let's take a second and talk about how we'll get there. So first things first, this is not a programming course. We will look at programming in the last part of the course, and when you're done with the course, you will have written some simple programs, but that's not the main focus. Rather, this course teaches you the things you need to think about before you start writing a program. 

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Computational thinking is part of a problem solving process that ends with writing a program. But before you do that, you need to know how to approach the problem, how to develop a solution and what the computer is capable of. We'll be exploring computational thinking in this course through exercises and projects, that help you understand the concepts you'll be learning. Because, computational thinking is so much more than programming, we will make sure that you're able to see how it can help you solve problems. 

Ranging from small issues like, scheduling meetings to larger issues like, mapping the planet. Some of these problems can be solved without a computer, while some really do need that extra computing power. By the end of this course, you'll be writing programs that show you how computational thinking can go from a thought exercise to a complete solution. 

If you've ever had an interest, in approaching problems more systematically, developing more efficient solutions, and understanding how computers can be used in the problem solving process, this course is a great starting point. 

Even if you're not necessarily interested in programming, you'll be able to see and understand how computational thinking really can and does touch your everyday life. So, let's get started.

What is Computational Thinking?

Computational thinking is an approach to solving problems using concepts and ideas from computer science, and expressing solutions to those problems so that they can be run on a computer. 

As computing becomes more and more prevalent in all aspects of modern society -- not just in software development and engineering, but in business, the humanities, and even everyday life -- understanding how to use computational thinking to solve real-world problems is a key skill in the 21st century. 

Computational thinking is built on four pillars: decomposition, pattern recognition, data representation and abstraction, and algorithms. 

This module introduces you to the four pillars of computational thinking and shows how they can be applied as part of the problem solving process.

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Pillars of Computational Thinking:

There are four pillars to computational thinking: 

• Decomposition
• Pattern recognition, 
• Data representation and abstraction,
• Algorithm.

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