The pillars of computational thinking in the literacy and multiliteracies process: the recipe genre as a discursive practice

Abstract

This article presents an action research study conducted in a first-grade elementary school class at a municipal school in Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil, aimed at investigating how the pillars of computational thinking can be integrated into multiliteracies practices in the literacy process. Grounded in concepts of alphabetization, literacy, and multiliteracies, as well as studies on computational thinking, the study adopts a qualitative, interpretivist approach. The pedagogical intervention was carried out during a Portuguese language class through a teaching unit organized around the recipe as a discourse genre. The activities included the use of a digital cooking game and the reading, linguistic analysis, and collective preparation of a printed corn cake recipe. The analysis of the experiences made it possible to identify the application of the four pillars of computational thinking: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms. The results indicate that the integration of plugged and unplugged activities fostered the incorporation of different modes of communication, the comprehension of instructional texts, logical reasoning, and the sequential organization of actions. The analysis concludes that the intentional incorporation of these pillars can contribute to rethinking pedagogical practices, fostering student autonomy, and promoting meaningful learning aligned with the demands of digital culture.