disciplinary literacy in computing

Disciplinary literacy for computational thinkers

Are your students struggling to translate their conceptual understanding into high-scoring exam responses? This research report addresses the critical gap between a student's ability to write code and their ability to articulate technical proficiency in high-stakes assessments.

Moving beyond simple vocabulary lists, this guide operationalises "disciplinary literacy" - the distinct habits of mind and communicative norms of computer scientists. It provides a rigorous framework that aligns standard command terms (such as Trace, Analyse, and Evaluate) with specific cognitive strategies, ensuring assessment mechanics match the skills being tested.

Key features of this resource include:

The Linguistic Landscape: A breakdown of command terms grouped by cognitive function (e.g., Knowledge Recall vs. Synthesis & Creation).

Evidence-Based Pedagogy: Practical applications of frameworks like PRIMM (Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify, Make) and Semantic Waves to scaffold technical language.

The Teacher’s Toolkit: An exhaustive appendix of implementation cards for every command term, featuring classroom activities, sentence starters, and specific scaffolding strategies.

Use this guide to transform the language of the discipline from a barrier into a gateway for student mastery.

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disciplinary literacy in computing

The Report