About Routing Algorithm
An algorithm is a sequence of instructions planned in advance, and the hard part for a child is the planning - working out the whole route before moving rather than steering as they go. This game requires the full sequence up front, which is precisely the mental shift that programming demands and that steering a character does not.
What this game teaches
- Planning a complete sequence of steps before executing it
- Thinking in terms of directions and turns from the robot's point of view
- Finding the shortest route rather than any route
- Debugging a sequence that did not work
- The idea that a computer follows instructions exactly, not intentions
How to play
- A grid appears with a robot and a star.
- Choose a sequence of direction instructions.
- Launch the robot to run your sequence.
- Reach the star in as few steps as possible; use Clean to start over.
Before you start
A child should know left, right, up and down reliably. Distinguishing their own left from the robot's is the difficulty and is worth expecting.
For teachers
An excellent unplugged-to-screen bridge. Have one child give another instructions to walk across the classroom first; the frustration of imprecise instructions teaches more about algorithms than any definition. Then move to the screen.
For parents
When the robot goes wrong, resist fixing the sequence. Ask 'where did it stop doing what you wanted?' - finding the faulty step is debugging, and it is the most valuable part of the activity.
Related games
- Flag Game — Class 3-8
- Alphabet Wheel — Class 1-3
- Small Letters a, b, c, d — Class 1-2