Innovation in English Language Teaching for EFL Context: Students’ Perceptions Toward Writing Story Activity Using Computational Thinking Process

Abstract

This study aims to introduce computational thinking (CT) process as a strategy in writing stories. Students from South China Normal University were asked to write chapters of a narrative story using 4 steps of CT: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithm design. By interviewing 3 participants, the results stated that computational thinking strategy in writing story activity is a good learning strategy which helped students to be more cooperative, more aware of managing time, learning some new words, and also increase their speaking skill. The difficulties were examined and solved by all participants independently. It is believed that the findings emerging from this inquiry will inform our efforts to improve the implementation of English teaching strategy in EFL context.

Keywords: computational thinking, innovative teaching, perceptions, writing story activity