Writing Algorithms with Edison Robots Session Structure Algorithms

Writing Algorithms with Edison Robots

Session Structure • Algorithms and the Digital Technologies Curriculum • What is an Algorithm? • Why are Algorithms Important? • Algorithms in the Problem Solving Process • Lightbot • Navigating Edison Robots

Algorithms and the DT Curriculum • Algorithms are referred to a few times in the DT Curriculum Outline 1: • In the Foundation to Year 2 Content Descriptions: “Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP 004)” • In the Years 3 and 4 Content Descriptions: “Define simple problems, and describe and follow a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve them (ACTDIP 010)” • In the Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions: “Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) (ACTDIP 019)”

What is an Algorithm? • A step-by-step process: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=F 7 Abb. FT 1 Vwc • Or ". . . a list of rules to follow in order to solve a problem. ” 2 • An example of an algorithm for getting someone a glass of water 3: • 1. Go to the kitchen. • 2. Pick up a glass. • 3. Turn on the tap. • 4. Put the glass under the running water and remove it once it is almost full. • 5. Turn off the tap. • 6. Take the glass back to the person who gave the instruction.

Why are Algorithms Important? • Computers can only follow precise and specific instructions • Algorithms are present in every digital technology we use today • Whenever you “Google” something • Whenever you use a GPS • The design of efficient and correct algorithms is a very important topic in Computer Science • Especially important when dealing with large amounts of data • Human Genome sequence ~ 200 gigabytes 4 • Google’s index of websites ~ 1 trillion websites in 2008!5

Algorithms in the Problem Solving Process • 5 steps to solving a problem with a computer based solution 6: • • • 1. Analyse the problem 2. Design a solution / program 3. Code / enter the program 4. Test the program 5. Evaluate the solution • Algorithm design fits into Step 2

Lightbot • Lightbot is a game available on many platforms (Android, i. OS, Windows Phone)7 • Nice introduction to Algorithms as a sequence of steps • Introduces concepts such as loops (repetition), procedures and branching which are very important to Computational Thinking • We will be doing a similar activity today, but with Edison robots

Navigating Edison Robots • We’ll practice writing algorithms today by solving some navigation problems with Edison robots • I’ll hand out some worksheets with some mazes that you will have to make using cups. • Your goal is to help the robot escape the maze without hitting any cups • If you finish them all, try and come up with some more challenging tracks that involve concepts like repetition and branching

References 1: Digital Technologies Curriculum - ACARA http: //www. australiancurriculum. edu. au/technologies/digital-technologies/curriculum/f-10? layout=1 2: “What is an Algorithm? ” - BBC Bitsize http: //www. bbc. co. uk/guides/z 3 whpv 4 3: Computer Science Field Guide – Algorithms http: //www. csfieldguide. org. nz/Algorithms. html 4: How big is the Human Genome? – Reid J. Robison https: //medium. com/precision-medicine/how-big-is-the-human-genome-e 90 caa 3409 b 0#. mi 10 x 2 mv 9 5: Read. Write – Google hits one trillion pages http: //readwrite. com/2008/07/25/google_hits_one_trillion_pages 6: Writing Algorithms - Krishna Chaytaniah http: //www. slideshare. net/chaytaniah/writing-algorithms 7: Lightbot - http: //lightbot. com/