Title:
CT4E-COLLAB: A Process-Based Model for Integrating Computational Thinking, STEM, and Collaboration in Higher Education [Download]Authors:
Pedro Gómez Álvarez, Julio Hurtado Alegria
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Abstract:
Engineering educators increasingly recognize that computational thinking (CT) cannot be taught in isolation; however, most higher education programs continue to treat it as a purely individual technical skill. This article presents CT4E-COLLAB, an evolution of the CT4E model that integrates STEM competencies, the principles of collaborative engineering (CE), and reusable ThinkLets in the development of CT. We present a quasi-experimental study conducted with 60 first-semester Systems Engineering students at the University of Cauca, Colombia, in which half of the participants received traditional instruction and the other half completed 10 structured CT4E-COLLAB sessions. Assessed using the Computational Thinking Test (CTt), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), and a collaboration observation rubric, the experimental group outperformed the control group in all dimensions: The differences between the groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05 for all instruments), with effect sizes in the medium-to-large range (d = 0.73 to 0.95) and 95% confidence intervals that excluded zero in all cases. The improvements were greatest in collaboration and motivation, dimensions that standard CT instruction rarely addresses explicitly. These findings suggest that formalizing collaboration as a process—rather than leaving it to chance—is a lever worth pulling in engineering education in Latin America.
DOI:
How to cite:
Pedro Gómez Álvarez, Julio Hurtado Alegria, "CT4E-COLLAB: A Process-Based Model for Integrating Computational Thinking, STEM, and Collaboration in Higher Education", IEEE-RITA, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 331-338, Jan. 2026. doi: 10.1109/RITA.2026.3689411