Computational Thinking
Innovation Alphabet
Computational Thinking
In a nutshell
Computational thinking is a way by which humans can reformulate seemingly complicated questions into solvable issues by resorting to intelligence and imagination. It is true – computers can help us solve many headaches. But before we can tackle a problem, it would be necessary to understand the nature of the problem itself and the ways by which to solve it.
Computational thinking resorts to five key techniques. Decomposition (breaking up a complex problem or system into smaller, more manageable parts), pattern recognition (going in search of similarities between and with previously solved problems), abstraction (focusing only on the important information, discarding the irrelevant), algorithms (planning a step-by-step solution or a set of rules), and generalisation (adapting solutions to other problems in order to solve new ones).
Application Fields
An example provided by videogames
Videogames offer an interesting opportunity to train computational thinking within an informal context. Whether they are arcade, fighting, shooter, or survival, whether it is about collecting objects in the shortest possible time or finding an exit without getting caught, the gamer needs to strategize. In fact, students with previous gaming experience plan their activities more spontaneously than those who have always preferred to occupy their free time in other ways. Playing video games can improve problem-solving skills. Got it, parents?
CoderDojo
Listen up, parents, this isn’t just a mere provocation. Computational Thinking is really something. CoderDojo – a global nonprofit movement aimed at forming clubs and organizing free meetings to teach young people about programming – knows it very well. Mentors use the term to describe the underlying patterns that guide the development of computer science curriculum. Check it out.
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Business Functions
• Computational Thinking in support of education
Google offers a selection of courses to help teachers and students strengthen their thinking faculties. The free “Computational Thinking for Educators” is a training module aimed at teachers that demonstrates how this way of reasoning can integrate a variety of educational subjects.
• Computational Thinking in support of gaining information
Data.gov is a database containing a wealth of information collected by the U.S. federal government. Students can query the website’s open data far and wide, exploring a variety of current topics (from economic growth to the spread of the virus) and expanding their interpretive skills.
• Computational Thinking in support of programming
The Lifelong Kindergarten group of the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab has devised Scratch, a programming community aimed at young coders. Using a drag-and-drop editing mode, students can create animations, games, and simulations without any prior programming knowledge. As a result, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically and work collaboratively.
• Computational Thinking in support of design
Thingiverse is an open-source library aimed at sharing 3D printing designs and CAD drawings. The site is aimed at any aspiring designer, engineer or draftsman. It allows you to train yourself by modifying and refining existing models on which to train your computational thoughts.
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Check out more of the Innovation Alphabet:
Gamification
Gamification
Gamification is actually adding a game-like element to make more fun and engaging something that’s not necessarily a game. It’s all about turning a task that might be boring or difficult into a more enjoyable and motivating activity. You can also earn points, badges, and rewards for completing certain actions or challenges. Are you ready to play?
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Business Intelligence
Business Intelligence
A smart business means efficiency: Business Intelligence represents the ability to collect up-to-date data, present it in easy-to-understand formats, and deliver it in a timely manner to employees. Making data-driven decision-making and management processes leads to competitive advantage, reduces inefficiencies, and improves productivity and service at all levels.
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Artificial Scarcity
Artificial Scarcity
We often tend to desire what we cannot have. Or what we are in danger of losing: Artificial Scarcity is a strategy that flaunts a limited number of items that do not correspond to actual availability. The goal is to stimulate the perception in consumers that the stock of items is about to run out and thus create a need based on the “fear of being cut off” or the intention to buy the item in order to resell it at a higher price.
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Subscription Model
Subscription Model
A subscription model is a business tool that generates revenue by charging customers a fee at regular intervals. The company provides products or services to subscribers on a subscription basis, usually monthly or annually. In this way, loyalty has become more important than acquiring new users.
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Holacracy & Flat Organization
Holacracy & Flat Organization
A “flat organization” breaks down the traditional hierarchy and removes its negative connotation, while “holacracy” is the business tool that facilitates its formation. Flat organizations place more emphasis on communication and collaboration, aspiring to a distributed decision-making process that gives each employee a voice. But this is a model that is difficult to implement.
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Mass Customization
Mass Customization
Mass customization is an initiative adopted by companies to embrace the increasingly diversified needs of customers. By offering customizable products and services, consumers feel engaged and can bring their creativity into play. Brands gain from this a boost in perceived value and the opportunity to fuel a positive word-of-mouth marketing.
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Coopetition
Coopetition
If you can’t beat them, join them. Coopetition is a business strategy that defines cooperative and competitive relationships between competing companies in the same young or high-growth market. The goal is to travel a stretch of road together to lower initial research and development costs. Once the desired results are achieved, the companies will return to being enemies as before.
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MVP
MVP
To the disappointment of all sports fans, this is not an article about Michael Jordan. In the language of business, MVP stands for Minimum Viable Product and indicates the version of a new product that has enough features to attract customers. In this way, a team can gather the most feedback with the least effort, improve the prototype, and validate its sale.
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Agile
Agile
Agile is an approach to software development designed to respond to change. Teams quickly analyze the context in which they operate, identify uncertainties faced, and figure out how to adapt to always move forward. Interaction between individuals comes before processes and tools; collaboration with the customer is more important than negotiating contracts.
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Bounded Rationality
Bounded Rationality
The best solutions always come to mind when it is too late. This is because human beings tend to make decisions on the basis of satisfaction rather than optimization. Bounded Rationality means that we are unable to think clearly and linearly, we proceed by trial and error and forget all the possible variables that affect the process. But we are also flawed.
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