Sanjay Chandrasekharan
Papers
1
Total Citations
8
H-Index
1
About
Sanjay Chandrasekharan is a cognitive scientist whose research lies at the intersection of embodied cognition, computational thinking, and STEM education. His most influential work, "From Embodied Doing to Computational Thinking in Kindergarten" (2023, 8 citations), proposes a groundbreaking motor control-based framework for how computational thinking (CT) can emerge naturally from children's physical, tangible interactions. Drawing on cognitive and motor neuroscience, Chandrasekharan demonstrates that young children's bodily engagement with coding tasks—such as navigating a tangible robot—activates neural mechanisms that scaffold abstract computational concepts. This embodied-to-abstract pathway offers a powerful alternative to screen-based CT instruction, with profound implications for early childhood education. His contributions bridge cognitive science and educational practice, showing how the body's sensorimotor systems can be leveraged to teach complex, symbolic reasoning. Chandrasekharan's work is particularly notable for its interdisciplinary synthesis, integrating insights from neuroscience, developmental psychology, and computer science. By reframing computational thinking as an embodied, developmental process, he challenges traditional pedagogies and opens new avenues for inclusive, hands-on learning. His research continues to influence how educators and technologists design learning environments that respect children's natural, physical ways of knowing.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1From Embodied Doing to Computational Thinking in Kindergarten8 citations · 2023