Political computational thinking

Policy networks, digital governance and ‘learning to code’

Bibliographic Data

ID12985246
AuthorsBonny Williamson (0000-0001-9356-3213, University of Stirling, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume10
Issue1
Pages39-58
Publication date2015-06-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Policy Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1946-0171 • E-ISSN: 1946-018X
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19460171.2015.1052003
OpenAlexW1498491353
LanguageEN
Citations received37
References cited27

Reflecting political shifts toward both ‘network governance' and ‘digital governance', the idea of ‘learning to code' has become part of a major reform agenda in education policy in England. This article provides a ‘policy network analysis' tracing the governmental, business and civil society actors now operating in policy networks to project learning to code into the reformed programs of study for computing in the National Curriculum in England. The insertion of learning to code into the curriculum provides evidence of how the education policy process is being displaced to cross-sector ‘boundary organizations' such as ‘policy labs' that act as connecting nodes to broker networks across public and private sector borderlines. It also examines how the pedagogies of learning to code are intended to inculcate young people into the material practices and systems of thought associated with computer coding, and to contribute to new forms of ‘digital governance'. These developments are evidence of a ‘reluctant state' deconcentrating its responsibilities, and also of a computational style of political thinking that assumes policy problems can be addressed using the right code. Learning to code is seen as a way of shaping governable citizens that can participate in the dynamics of digital governance

Code (set theory · Corporate governance · Curriculum · Economics · Management · Network governance · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Sociology · Computer Science · Global Educational Policies and Reforms · Law · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research · Social Media and Politics

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access