SOLE CODING: Towards a practitioner-led development framework for the teaching of computational thinking

Self organised learning environments (SOLE) grows out of the results of research called the "Hole in the Wall experiments", where ATM-like Internet-connected computers were placed in walls in the streets of Indian slums. Research showed that children could become computer literate and achieve scores comparable with those of children who studied the computer curriculum and other subjects. Through facilitating SOLE spaces, the principles of curiosity, collaboration and peer interest are fuelled by adult encouragement and admiration, but not by direct intervention. Thus, based on the 'Hole in the Wall' experiments, SOLE follows 'minimal invasion' from the teacher, whose role is changed from transmitter to facilitator of learning content. This chapter analyses the implications of SOLE for creating the coding generation. It deals with the big picture of the future contribution of primary teachers in the development of the UK primary computing curriculum.