On computational thinking as a universal skill: A review of the latest research on this ability

In recent years we are witnessing movements around the world to bring computer programming to schools. Lots of these initiatives, however, have been conceived to address the shortage of professionals in the technology sector, an approach that is encouraged by the software industry. On the contrary, this article argues that the focus should swift towards computational thinking, an ability that goes far beyond computer science or technology, fostering fundamental skills for the citizens of the twenty-first century. In this paper we summarize the findings of recent investigations that study computational thinking from different perspectives, explaining what this new skill is made of, presenting outcomes of school interventions showing relationships between the development of this ability and improvements in different subjects and soft skills, presenting technologies to foster its development, and reviewing tools that support educators in the assessment of this skill.