Integrating Computational Thinking into Science Instruction: A Design-based Approach to Learning Protein Synthesis

Introduction: Many countries consider the expansion of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) a key strategy for economic growth and social development. This belief applies in Thailand, with integration of STEM education at the K–12 level promoted in the most recent version of the national science curriculum standards. Engineering design and computational thinking have been introduced to the curriculum in addition to the canonical sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and geology). Although design-based learning has been proposed nationally as an integrated approach to STEM education, these new strands present challenges to science teachers. Many of these teachers struggle to envision how engineering design and computational thinking can be meaningfully integrated into science instruction, highlighting a clear need for concrete examples. Content: This academic article presents an example of how engineering design and computational thinking can be incorporated into science instruction, illustrating an integrated approach to STEM education. Using the 6E Learning byDeSIGNTM model of design-based learning developed by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (Burke, 2014), the article describes a pedagogical activity on the topic of protein synthesis, which is often considered difficult for students to learn and for science teachers to teach. In this activity, designed for the high school level, students are challenged to design computer software that identifies a series of amino acids forming a protein based on a given strand of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). This activity involves six steps: Engage, Explore, Explain, Engineer, Enrich, and Evaluate. Specifically, students learn what proteins are, what they do in the body, and what they are made of. Once students understand that each protein consists of amino acids arranged in a unique sequence, they explore and explain how proteins are synthesized from DNA using a computer simulation. With this understanding of the process through which a protein is synthesized, students are introduced to the Python programming language and learn the necessary concepts of computational science (e.g., variables, loops, conditionals, and algorithms). Students are then tasked with applying these computational concepts to develop the computer software. Finally, they discuss and reflect on what they have learned. Through this activity, students learn the key process of protein synthesis (e.g., transcription and translation) and discover how computational concepts are used to model biological processes effectively. Conclusion: The 6E Learning byDeSIGNTM model of design-based learning is similar to the 5E model of inquiry-based learning—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate—which has long been promoted in Thailand and elsewhere. Science teachers are already familiar with the 5E inquiry-based model, so they can easily understand and adopt the 6E Learning byDeSIGNTM model. As such, the activity presented in this article serves as a practical example for science teachers to develop lessons that integrate engineering design and computational thinking into the teaching of other science topics. Yet, further research is needed to investigate its potential impact on students’ learning and science teachers’ professional development.