Beyond Programming: A Computer-Based Assessment of Computational Thinking Competency

Computational Thinking (CT ), entailing both domain-general and domain-specific skills, is a competency fundamental to computing education beyond. However, as cross-domain competency, appropriate assessment design method remain equivocal. Indeed, the majority of existing assessments have predominant focus on measuring programming proficiency neglecting other contexts in which CT can also be manifested. To broaden promotion practice CT, it necessary integrate diverse problem types item formats using competency-based measure CT. Taking psychometric approach, this article evaluates novel computer-based Challenge. The was administered 119 British upper secondary school students ( M = 16.11; SD 1.19) with range prior experiences. Results from several reliability analyses, convergent validity analysis, Rasch provided evidence support quality assessment. Taken together, study demonstrated feasibility expand traditional methods integrating multiple contexts, types, comprehensive manner.