CThink.IT: Think, Learn and Play in a Computational Thinking Way

Publication date: May 13, 2024

Discover how the Erasmus project “CThink.IT” is revolutionizing education across Europe, fostering computational thinking skills through innovative board games and dynamic workshops.

The Erasmus project “CThink.IT, Think, Learn and Play in a Computational Thinking Way” aims to collaborate across three European countries with diverse educational contexts to develop an inclusive learning resource focused on cultivating key computational thinking (CT) competencies in students.

By harnessing the unique characteristics of each country’s educational landscape, the project seeks to create a board game that embraces both commonalities and differences.

The board game will be customizable to suit each country’s needs, with materials translated into native languages and aligned with existing curricula.

Through this collaborative approach, the project seeks to honor European heritage while valuing and leveraging the diversity present in the Maltese, Greek, and Portuguese educational systems.

By working together, the project aims to maximize the strengths of each country and create a more impactful learning experience for students.

Train the trainer workshop

Partners of CThink.IT ERASMUS+ project convened in Thessaloniki for an enriching Train the Trainer workshop from March 11-14, 2024.  Participants  immersed themselves in a dynamic exploration of computational thinking concepts through fun activities, while they tested the lesson plans and the board game “Mystery at the Museum” in a collaborative and competitive mode.

Day 1: Introduced to Computational Thinking, hands-on activities, and delved into game-based learning

During the 1st day of the “Train the Trainer Workshop” there was a brief presentation of the CThink.IT project, the state of the art on the implementation of computational thinking in the early years and a literature review “Game-based Learning Board games in ECE”.

Participants also had the chance to participate in computational thinking activities that covered the core concepts of CT, like decomposition (breaking big problems into smaller ones), abstraction (focusing on the important details), pattern recognition, and algorithms (step-by-step instructions) and other activities for understanding game mechanics in board games. At the end of the 1st day participants divided into groups while having a hands-on experience after the presentation of the board game “Mystery in the museum”.

Day 2: Explored board game mechanics, presented lesson plans, and engaged in insightful discussions.

On the second day participants analyzed different mechanics commonly used in the board game and discussed how these mechanics influence strategy, player interaction, and overall game flow. This group discussion led to a deeper understanding of the topic while exchanging ideas on how mechanics can be combined and debating the effectiveness of certain mechanics for specific learning objectives.

Following the presentations of the lesson plans, participants had the privilege of engaging in a discussion and were able to refine the lesson plans to make the most of the board game’s educational potential. The group discussion helped to identify potential challenges and brainstorm solutions for using the board game in the classroom.

Day 3: Reflective sessions, planned in-school training, and initiated pilot projects

The last day of the LTT, participants dedicated time to think back on their experiences (What worked well? What challenges did they face? What could be improved?). They evaluated the effectiveness of the LTT, gained valuable insights into its effectiveness and identified areas for improvement.

After completing the training, master trainers proceeded to train teachers within their own schools on how to utilize the board game. The game and accompanying lesson plans were tested in classrooms during April to gather feedback and evaluation.

Following this phase, revisions and improvements were made, culminating in the final version being made available for download on the CTHINK.IT. If you are ready to embark on a Computational Thinking adventure filled with fun and strategy in your classroom you can fill out this form and you will receive notifications when our exciting new board game is ready and a link to download a printable version of the game board.

Taking part of the project: Leonard Busuttil, Diane Vasallo, James Callus (University of Malta), Maria Tsapara, Tharrenos Bratitsis, Kiriaki Melliou (UOWM, Greece), Nabil Tarraf Kojok, Gillian Harrison Namli (Chiswick House School, Malta), Iro Koliakou, (Anatolia College, Greece), Sofia Sousa (Projeto Scholé, Portugal), Goncalo Meireles (Advancis-Business Services, Portugal)

Learn more for our project in https://www.cthinkit.eu/