In recent years, the emphasis on computational thinking (CT) has intensified as an effect of accelerated digitalisation. While most researchers are concentrating on defining CT and developing tools for its instruction and assessment, we focus on the characteristics of computational thinking problems (CTPs) - activities requiring CT to be solved - and how they influence the skills students can develop. In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework for systematically profiling CTPs by identifying specific components and characteristics, while establishing a link between these attributes and a structured catalogue of CT competencies. The purposes of this framework are (i) facilitating the analysis of existing CTPs to identify which abilities can be developed or measured based on their inherent characteristics, and (ii) guiding the design of new CTPs targeted at specific skills by outlining the necessary characteristics required for CT activation. To illustrate the framework functionalities, we begin by analysing prototypical activities in the literature, a process that leads to the definition of a taxonomy of CTPs across various domains, and we conclude with a case study on the design of a different version of one of these activities, the Cross Array Task (CAT), set in different cognitive environments. This approach allows an understanding of how CTPs in different contexts display unique and recurring characteristics that promote the development of distinct skills. In conclusion, this framework can inform the development of assessment tools, improve teacher training, and facilitate the analysis and comparison of existing CT activities, contributing to a deeper understanding of competency activation and guiding curriculum design in CT education.

翻译：近年来，随着数字化进程的加速，对计算思维（CT）的重视日益增强。尽管大多数研究者专注于定义计算思维并开发其教学与评估工具，我们则聚焦于计算思维问题（CTPs）——即需要运用计算思维来解决的活动——的特征，以及这些特征如何影响学生所能发展的技能。本文提出一个综合性框架，用于通过识别具体组成要素与特征来系统化地刻画CTPs，同时在这些属性与一个结构化的计算思维能力目录之间建立联系。该框架旨在：（i）促进对现有CTPs的分析，以基于其固有特征识别哪些能力可以得到发展或测量；（ii）通过概述激活计算思维所需的必要特征，指导针对特定技能的新CTPs的设计。为阐明该框架的功能，我们首先分析了文献中的典型活动，这一过程促成了跨不同领域的CTPs分类法的定义；最后，我们通过一个案例研究进行说明，该案例涉及对其中一项活动——交叉阵列任务（CAT）——在不同认知环境中设计一个不同版本。这种方法有助于理解不同情境下的CTPs如何展现出独特且重复出现的特征，从而促进不同技能的发展。总之，该框架可为评估工具的研发提供参考，改进教师培训，并促进对现有计算思维活动的分析与比较，从而有助于更深入地理解能力激活机制，并指导计算思维教育中的课程设计。