Construction of difference equations in spreadsheets as a means of developing computational thinking among students

Computation is the third research paradigm, alongside theory and experimentation. Computational thinking is the term that refers to the thought processes involved in performing computational research, including the design and use of computational tools. Given the increasing need to provide students with computational education, this paper describes a novel way for the development of computational thinking among high school and university students. The proposed approach is based on Papert's theory of constructionism. In this approach, the student forms his/ her knowledge while constructing the difference equation that describes a physical (or engineering) phenomenon, based on scenarios investigated in spreadsheets. The method is illustrated in the cases of a damped harmonic oscillator and a parallel RLC circuit.