TechCheck-K: A Measure of Computational Thinking for Kindergarten Children

In this pilot study we created and evaluated a new version of the TechCheck Computational Thinking (CT) assessment designed specifically for kindergarten students. The original version of TechCheck was validated in first and second graders and consists of 15 multiple choice unplugged challenges drawn from six CT domains. The kindergarten version, called TechCheck-K, consists of similar unplugged challenges but reduces the number of response choices from four to three and uses exclusively non-verbal material in the responses to accommodate younger, pre-literate children. We administered TechCheck-K to N =89 kindergarten students from four schools, including 45 boys and 44 girls with no coding experience. Participants completed the assessment in an average of 23.43 minutes. TechCheck-K scores were normally distributed (M =8.26, SD =2.33). Mean scores were numerically higher in boys (M =8.71, SD = 2.69) than girls (M =8.05, SD = 2.07). The difference between genders was not significant. The pattern of correct responses to the 15 TechCheck-K items correlated (r =.76) with the pattern observed in first and second graders on the original TechCheck, providing evidence that comparable CT constructs are measured by the two versions of the instrument. Results of this pilot study indicate that TechCheck-K has acceptable characteristics for assessment of CT in kindergarten children.