The CAS organisation exists to help computing specialist or a teacher of any subject eager to integrate digital technologies into the classroom. The CAS Conference offers insights and practical strategies for all and I'll be joining Dr Yasemin Allsop to talk about computational thinking through stories.

Teaching Computational Thinking Through Stories

Dr Yasemin Allsop, Prof Filiz Kalelioglu, Dr Melike Aslan, Hannah Hagon , UCL

Stories provide children with a natural and engaging way to explore the world, fostering imagination and creativity while making learning more meaningful. When learning is connected to storytelling, it becomes more relevant, enjoyable, and easier to remember. This is especially true for abstract concepts like Computational Thinking (CT), which can sometimes feel disconnected from children's everyday experiences. In this workshop, we explore how stories can be powerful tools for teaching CT concepts and approaches.

By embedding CT into storytelling through both plugged and unplugged activities, we create learning experiences that are interactive, hands-on, and appropriate for young learners with diverse needs. Activities such as retelling a story, identifying patterns, sequencing events, and breaking narratives into structural parts (characters, actions, and settings) naturally align with key CT skills like decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking. Throughout the session, we will showcase practical examples of story-based activities that integrate CT into classroom lessons. You will gain insights into how to design engaging learning experiences that not only teach computational thinking but also enhance children's literacy, problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Whether you are new to CT or looking for innovative ways to incorporate it into your teaching, we hope that this workshop will provide valuable strategies and inspiration.