How does a computer make decisions? How does it calculate, solve problems or run a program?
With the Turing Tumble® game, students discover the basics of programming and how computers work… with no screen and no electricity! By building real mechanical circuits powered by marbles, they develop logical thinking and problem solving, and they grasp computing ideas such as algorithms, binary and logic gates.
Through a series of increasingly hard challenges, students observe, experiment, test their hypotheses and fix their mistakes to find the best solution. A concrete, playful and stimulating way to learn the basics of computer science while building perseverance, creativity and critical thinking.
How it runs:
- In school: from 2 workshops of 60, 75 or 90 minutes.
- After school: 60-minute workshops over 6, 8 or 10 weeks.
Learning goals (elementary)
- Build logical thinking by analyzing and solving programming challenges.
- Understand that an algorithm is a series of instructions that solves a problem.
- Try different strategies to test, change and improve a solution.
- Recognize that computers make decisions by following logical rules.
- Work with classmates to design, check and explain a solution.
- Build perseverance, critical thinking and creativity as the challenges get harder.
Learning goals (secondary)
- Design and optimize algorithms that solve complex problems.
- Understand the role of logic gates, binary and decision mechanisms in computers.
- Solve problems through observation, analysis, trial and adjustment.
- Use computational thinking to plan, test and improve a solution.
- Explain how a logic system works using the right scientific and technical vocabulary.
- Work together effectively on challenges that call on programming, logic and reasoning.
