Computational Thinking in the 21st Century: Videos and Links (ISTE, CSTA, Google)

Smartphones, iPads, tablets, and other gadgets will be given as gifts to spread the holiday cheer, putting more computational power in the hands of people of all ages and walks of life than ever before.    Walk into any toy section, and you'll see tablets, games, and accessories designed for toddlers.  Many little ones have not known a world without a "computing device".  Although not all children will grow up to be computer scientists, they will need to be prepared during their school years for an increasingly technology-infused society.

One of the things teachers (and parents) will need to know more about is the concept of computational thinking. 
Credit: wordle.net; Center for Computational Thinking, Carnegie Mellon

No longer limited to mathematicians or computer scientists, computational thinking  something that is essential to all disciplines. For this reason, representatives from ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) and CSTA (Computer Science Teacher's Association) have developed the Computational Thinking Tookit, available on-line, "to prepare young learners to become computational thinkers who understand how today's digital tools can help solve tomorrow's problems."


To help spread the word, I'd like to share a few videos and resources on this topic. The first one was created by ISTE, CSTA, and NSF, and provides a short overview of ways technologies have changed the way people do things, and how computational thinking is an essential skill for all:

In the next video, various people who work at Google discuss the importance of computational thinking and how it is applied in their work to solve problems.  One interesting example is how Pegman, the little yellow figure in Google's Street View in Google Maps became "smarter" through the development team's use of computational thinking.    K-12 resources are available on Google's Exploring Computational Thinking website, and a list of links to additional web-based resources can be found on the Web Resources page.

Solving Problems at Google Using Computational Thinking (Google)
 

Jeannette M. Wing, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, believes that computational thinking is not just for computer scientists - it is important for people from all disciplines and walks of life. She discusses the concept in the video below:

Computational Thinking and Thinking About Computing

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First-Person User Interface; Mobile to the Future; Mobile Experience Design Strategy: Presentations by Luke Wroblewski

Luke Wroblewski is a digital product/interaction/interface designer who has written about mobile computing and web design. His presentations provide a good summary of how smartphones are functioning in today's world, how they might be used in the very near future, and what designers/developers need to consider.

"The tools are in our hands to really design experiences in a different way."

Presentation: First Person User Interfaces (pdf)
"The design challenges and opportunities of interfaces that allow people to interact with the real world as they are currently experiencing "

Luke Wroblewski | Mobile to the future from IxDA Oslo on Vimeo.
Presentation: Mobile to the Future (pdf)

Mobile Experience Design Strategy with Luke Wroblewski 
(Presented at Cascade SF Meetup)

(At about 45:30, Luke discusses the problem of "checkout" on a mobile phone, giving an example from Dell.)

Interactive TV Design Discussion - David Herigstad: Surface Space, Content Space, and Interactive Space

The following video is a presentation by Dale Herigstad, Chief Interaction Officer at Possible Worldwide, from the 2012 TV of Tomorrow Show.  If you are interested in interactivity and UX across screens and spaces, it is worth taking the time to watch!

WHO OWNS THE NEW SCREEN EXPERIENCES?

Special Presentation: Who Owns the New Screen Experiences? from TV of Tomorrow Show on Vimeo.

The "new world" combines TV and the internet, and poses new opportunities for design. Dale encourages flexibility and fearlessness, and setting goals for the long term. This means that organizations must move away from the "silo" approach, and create teams that can integrate across screens, platforms, content, and input methods, moving from flat-space to interactive, dynamic,layered, 3D, and augmented space.  

BTW, Dale Herigstad was one of the people commissioned by Steven Spielberg to work on the interface design for Minority Report.  

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Tutorials: Dale Herigstad & Schematic, Interactive Design Agency
The Minority Report Interface
Luke Wroblewski, 9/23/04

Usability of Windows 8: Food for thought from Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox

I haven't had the chance to play around with a tablet or PC running Windows 8, but from the screenshots and thoughtful comments posted on Jakob Nielson's Alertbox ,  I might be in store for some user confusion.  

Windows 8 -- Disappointing Usability for both Novice and Power Users 

"Hidden features, reduced discoverability, cognitive overhead fro dual environments, and reduced power from a single-window UI and low information density. Too bad." -Jakob Nielsen

I wonder how this will play out in the future, especially for people who often rely on two large monitors with several windows up at the same time to complete tasks efficiently, alone, or with a colleague.

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Take the time to read the following article, and if you have the time, skim through the over 200 comments:
Why Jakob Nielsen's Windows 8 critique is old-school thinking.
Jay Green, c|net, 11/21/12

Surface Tablet vs. iPad Video, via SAY Media

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Human Computer Interaction + Informal Science Education Conference (NUI News)

I recently learned of the HCI + ISE conference, funded by the National Science Foundation and organized by Ideum and Independent Exhibitions that will provide the groundwork for the future of the development and design of interactive computer-based science exhibits.

Science museums have a long history of interactivity, well suited to groups of "explorers", such as families or students visiting on a field trip.  

What is really exciting is that new interactive applications and technologies have the power to transform the way people learn and understand science in a collaborative and social way.  Innovations in the field of HCI - Human-Computer Interaction- such as multi-touch and gesture interaction, are  well-suited to meet the goals of science education for all, beyond the school doors and wordy textbooks. 

Below is a screen-shot of the conference website, a description about the conference, quoted from the site, and some related resources.

About the HCI+ISE Conference

"HCI technologies, such as motion capture, multitouch, augmented reality, RFID, and voice recognition are beginning to change the way computer-based science exhibits are designed and developed. Human Computer Interaction in Informal Science Education (HCI+ISE) is a first-of-its-kind gathering to explore and disseminate effective practices in developing a new generation of digital exhibits that are more intuitive, interactive, and social than their predecessors."

"The HCI+ISE Conference, to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico June 11-14 2013, will bring together 60 museum exhibit designers and developers, learning researchers, and technology industry professionals to share effective practices, and to explore both the enormous potential and possible pitfalls that these new technologies present for exhibit development in informal science education settings."

"HCI+ISE will focus on the practical considerations of implementing new HCI technologies in educational settings with an eye on the future. Along with a survey of how HCI is shaping the museum world, participants will be challenged to envision the museum experience a decade into future. The conference results will provide a concrete starting point for exhibit developers and informal science educators who are just beginning to investigate these emerging technologies and design challenges in creating these new types of exhibits."

Why HCI+ISE?
"Since the mid-1980s informal educational venues have increasingly incorporated computer-based exhibits into their science communication offerings in an effort to keep pace with public expectations and make use of the expanding opportunities these technologies provide. The advent and popularity of once novel HCI technologies are becoming commonplace: the Wii and Microsoft Kinect now allow for motion capture video games, tablet PCs have multitouch interaction, and smart phones and other devices come standard with voice recognition. Yet many museums are still developing single-touch and trackball-driven, single-user computer kiosks."

"Science museums have a long history of championing hands-on, physical, and inquiry-based activities and exhibits. This vast experience has only just begun to be applied to interactive computer interfaces. Along with seasoned science exhibit developers, the Conference will draw upon individuals outside of ISE who will provide fresh insight into the technologies, design issues, and audience expectations that these visitor experiences present."

Involvement and Findings
"HCI+ISE will bring together a diverse group of practitioners and other professionals to discuss (and in some cases share and prototype) new design approaches utilizing emerging HCI technology. Please see our Apply page to learn how you can participate. Conference news and findings will be distributed through a variety of ISE and museum websites, including this one."

"We welcome your questions and comments about the HCI+ISE Conference."

CONTACTS

Kathleen McLean of Independent Exhibitions
& Jim Spadaccini of Ideum
HCI+ISE Co-chairs

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Open Exhibits

"Open Exhibits is a multitouch, multi-user tool kit that allows you to create custom interactive exhibits."
CML:  Creative Mark-up Language
GML: Gesture Mark-up Language
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