Thinking and computing: toward a conceptual critique of computational thinking

Abstract

This article offers a conceptual critique of computational thinking (CT), understood as a notion that oscillates between an informal conception –associated with general cognitive abilities such as abstraction, analysis, and structured problem-solving– and a technical conception, tied to automation and the use of computational formalisms. Based on this ambiguity, a gradualist framework is developed to distinguish between informal and technical CT according to three key components: the problem being addressed, the expressive means used for its representation and resolution, and the agent responsible for executing the solution. It is argued that the level of formalization required depends on context, and that the general cognitive abilities involved in the formulation and evaluation of problems should be acknowledged as constitutive elements of CT. This approach aims to preserve its epistemic function and avoid a purely instrumental reduction. The proposal seeks to move beyond an overly technical view of CT and to support its understanding as a complex practice that interweaves cognitive, technical, and educational dimensions, progressively unfolding across different educational stages. The article concludes that a definition of CT focused exclusively on automation disrupts the historical continuity of algorithmic thinking and weakens its pedagogical articulation across learning levels, although it also acknowledges that an orientation toward automation remains a distinctive and transversal feature of CT.