🧠 What is Computational Thinking? How PLP Helped Me Understand It
Hey devs! 👋
As a beginner in software development through the Power Learn Project (PLP), one concept that stood out to me early on was computational thinking. At first, I didn’t fully understand what it meant—until we started using it practically in problem-solving.
In this post, I’ll break down what computational thinking is, how I learned it through PLP, and why it’s such an essential skill for any aspiring techie.
🚀 What Is Computational Thinking?
Computational thinking is a problem-solving method that involves:
Decomposition – Breaking a big problem into smaller, manageable parts
Pattern Recognition – Finding similarities or trends in data or problems
Abstraction – Focusing on the important details and ignoring the rest
Algorithms – Creating step-by-step instructions to solve problems
These are the same steps a computer would "think" through when solving a task. But guess what? Humans use it too—even when we're not aware.
🧩 How I Learned It Through PLP
The PLP training made these concepts real for me. Here’s how:
✅ Decomposition:
We were asked to break down real-life problems into simple tasks. For example:
“Build a weather app.”
We had to think about what steps are needed: get the user’s location, fetch weather data, display results.
✅ Pattern Recognition:
We examined code that repeats similar steps (like loops) and learned how to reuse logic in different programs.
✅ Abstraction:
I realized that when writing functions, you don’t need to know the exact code inside—just the input and output.
✅ Algorithms:
From sorting numbers to checking passwords, we created step-by-step instructions (algorithms) and later turned them into Python code.
🌱 Why It Matters
It improves the way I think through problems
Helps me build better code
Makes debugging easier because I approach problems systematically
Prepares me for advanced topics like AI, cybersecurity, and machine learning
💬 Final Thoughts
Learning computational thinking through PLP was an eye-opener. It’s not just about code—it’s about how to think like a developer. I’m already using it daily in my PLP assignments and side projects.
Are you also learning computational thinking? What helped you understand it best? Let’s chat in the comments!
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