Flow of Activities
Activity Decompose the problem
Why and how do you decompose a problem?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Investigating and defining (ACTDIP027)
What's this about?
Defining and decomposing problems are part of the analysis process. Once you have stated the problem, usually in terms of a brief description of the problem’s elements and the stakeholders involved, you can begin to break the problem down into smaller elements. This helps reduce the complexity of problems because you can see their sub-tasks or sub-elements. It allows you to get a better understanding or insight into the problem and therefore its solution. It is like asking a set of smaller questions so that the larger question (or problem) can be answered. You are really identifying a set of needs, which in turn might help decide what data is needed to solve the problem.
Breaking a problem down into smaller parts allows you to study each part in more detail and reduces the problem’s complexity. Decomposition also allows you to identify connections between elements; some will be strong and others not, as well as showing the importance of any constraints on the solution. Tools such as decision trees and fishbone diagrams can be used to decompose a problem.
Learning tasks
- Use a suitable hook to engage students in a relevant context and problem. For example, students could practise decomposing a problem by finding a holiday that would suit a friend or family member.
- Students break the problem down to identify the needs of the solution. They can do that by asking the following questions:
- What is the age group of the person?
- Are there any preferred modes of travel (eg plane, train, car, boat)?
- Are there any price restrictions?
- What are the preferred activities (eg adventure, sightseeing)
- What is the preferred style of accommodation?
- What is the best time for the person to travel?
- How many days can the person be on holidays?
- Are there any special needs, such as wheelchair access?
- Based on this introductory activity, students can transfer their skills to decomposing the following problem: What meals are suitable for teenagers with various needs?
- It is suggested that students be provided with at least one constraint on the solution; for example: sustainability (economic, environmental, social), technical considerations or usability.
- The following are some questions relevant to this problem.
- What types of meals appeal to teenagers?
- What are the challenges (eg dietary requirements, cooking skills)?
- What are the preferred processes (eg frying, grilling, steaming)?
- Are there preferred cuisines (eg Mexican, Thai, Indian)?
- Are there nutritional requirements? Do they differ for males and females?
- What are the favourite ingredients?
- What is the favourite meal? Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner?
- How much can be spent on ingredients for a meal?
- How can information be accessed easily anytime, anywhere to help with decisions about suitable meals?
- Organise students into groups to decompose the problem.
- Once students have decomposed the problem, they need to know what data is required in a solution so that a teenager could find a meal that met their needs.
- Build a picture of the needs of teenagers by considering ‘types’ within the group ‘teenagers’. Types may include those who are health conscious, are athletes, have allergies and special dietary requirements, have a preferred cuisine, etc.
- In defining the problem further, students consider options such as:
- meal cost
- time and effort to prepare and cook the meal
- maximum number of ingredients
- image of the plated meal.
-
Generate a class list of ‘types and options’ that can be used to gather data for the design. Model using two to three meal suggestions to define a structured data table. For example:
Menu item Ingredients Health rating Cuisine type Dietary requirements Cost Skill level Cook time Thai chicken skewers and rice Chicken, rice, Thai spices, bamboo skewers 5 stars Thai Gluten free
Nut freeMed Easy 15–20 min Beef teriyaki and rice Beef, rice, teriyaki sauce 5 stars Japanese Med Easy 15–20 min Thai vegetables Vegetables, Thai spices 5 stars Thai Gluten free
Nut free
VegetarianMed Easy 15–20 min Another possible context is to provide questions around access to digitised music. A relevant data set is provided.
-
Optional
You could ask students to evaluate existing apps to examine app interfaces and rate the usefulness of design and access to information. Students could document three key design-related learnings that could influence their design of a digital solution.
This task could also be undertaken in conjunction with a food technology/home economics class where students research a suitable menu item. Alternatively, as a task completed at home, students could select and prepare a meal to taste-test a chosen menu item. The task could also have a health focus and students could create a healthy breakfast calculator using spreadsheeting software. As an example, refer to the Healthy breakfast calculator spreadsheet.
Supporting Resources
The 10 best apps every foodie must have on their phone
Download some of these apps to evaluate and investigate user interface and how data is displayed and presented.
Decision tree software
Use this software to create your own decision tree diagram.
Cut through the technical language of digital technologies
Use this resource as an example of decomposing a problem and using a decision tree.
Lesson Ideas
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- List of key steps when decomposing the problem
- Level of engagement when discussing audience needs
Activity Collect and input data
How can you store and share data in an online spreadsheet?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Collecting, managing and analysing data (ACTDIP026)
- Collecting, managing and analysing data (ACTDIP025)
What's this about?
An important aspect of data entry in a spreadsheet is the process of validating data. One way to validate the data is to create and use a drop down menu to limit free text entry.
Examples might include:
- cost: the range might include low, medium and high, where:
- low = < $10
- med = $10–$20
- high = > $20
- health rating: a star rating out of 5 or colour (red, orange, green).
Spreadsheets enable us to record, sort and analyse data and also to visualise that data in different ways to make sense of patterns or trends.
A database is similar in many ways to a spreadsheet in that it stores data in structured ways, and the data can be queried and reported. Usually databases store more data than spreadsheets and the data is often connected to other data (relational). Large databases enable us to locate information on the internet, as search strings act as queries on the data.
Learning tasks
- Students collect recipe and menu data from relevant websites, cookbooks or from family. They estimate the cost based on the ingredients. In groups, students create a spreadsheet that records relevant data so that a teenager can find a meal that suits their particular needs.
- Ideally, students would combine their menu data to efficiently build a large database of information.
- As a method of collating suggested menu items and accompanying data use a collaborative tool such as Google Sheets.
- Model how to structure data with relevant ways to validate the data. This makes data entry easier and limits errors in the data. For each heading, agree as a class on the range for each and show how to create the menu items for each column. Discuss how to enter free text such as ingredients and menu items to limit errors. Test the spreadsheet using a couple of examples and adjust if necessary.
- Visualise the data; for example, create a chart to analyse coverage across the various categories to determine if there are instances of no options. In this case, extra suitable menu items may be added.
- You could discuss limitations of the spreadsheet and discuss how a database might be a better option to store the data.
- You could also convert the data in the spreadsheet to an online shareable database such as the add-on Airtable or Obvibase. Alternatively, the data could be added directly to an online or computer-based database software package.
- Students could test out search queries using their database; for example:
- What menu items have a heath rating above 4, are Asian cuisine, vegetarian, medium cost and easy to cook?
- What menu items are gluten free?
- What menu items are low cost and Indian, Thai or Japanese cuisine?
Supporting Resources
Google Sheets
Create a shareable online spreadsheet.
Create a drop down menu in Excel
This webpage demonstrates how to create a drop down menu with easy to follow screenshots and an explanation.
Airtable
A free trial version of this online database tool is available. Schools would need to purchase it. This tool works in Google Drive, provides support and guidance, and is suitable for students to learn about databases.
Obvibase
This online database tool works in Google Drive. It provides limited support and guidance and relies on students knowing how to create a database from a blank sheet.
Introduction to databases (SQL)
This brief tutorial teaches the basics of using Structured Query Language (SQL) – a special purpose programming language that is used to communicate with databases.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Contribution to online spreadsheet or database
- Discuss search queries in relation to database
Activity Designing an app
How do I design a graphical user interface?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Paper prototyping is ideal for conceptualising a design; for example, an interface for an app. It is a quick way to document potential designs and to consider the user experience. It is also a useful way to consider a list of requirements and how they are to be met, and to address the identified constraints.
Learning tasks
- Students design an app interface. They are not creating the app, although that could be an option if they have the skills, interest and time.
- Discuss common databases used every day through a graphical user interface (GUI) such as Netflix, Spotify or eBay.
- Discuss which elements of user interface design make them easy to use. Provide examples for students to view and evaluate or, if access is limited, model a suitable application using a data projector.
- Students refer to the meal planner data and how this might be incorporated into the design of an app.
- In groups they collaborate to generate several design options that cater for the target audience. They refer back to the constraint and the other needs of the problem when determining their preferred design idea.
- Ask students to create a paper prototype. To support this process, provide print-outs of a tablet or smartphone screen for students to draw their designs on. Ask students to annotate what each screen enables the user to do. This might be undertaken as an individual task first and then each student could share their design with the group to create a final design.
- Students think about how the user would search and locate relevant options and see relevant information when selecting from options. In their app they could consider:
- graphical elements
- home screen
- details page for each menu item
- a rating system
- a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that would offer suggestions based on user behaviour
- sharing information such as an ingredients list via email/SMS.
Supporting Resources
Paper prototyping: The 10-minute practical guide
Learn about paper prototyping.
POP
POP helps you to transform pen and paper ideas into an interactive iPhone or Android prototype.
Mockdrop
This is a free website to create mock-ups for different devices.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Students explain their individual design drawings compared with the final design.
Activity Evaluate the process and the design
Was the design successful and does it meet the audience needs? How well did the group perform in completing the project?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Evaluating (ACTDIP031)
What's this about?
Design evaluation
The primary focus of design evaluation is to assess whether the design meets the needs of the target audience. Does the interface enable the user to easily locate and select information that is of interest?
Student performance evaluation
Typically, teachers are required to report on students’ performance. Digital technologies work is often project-based and a variety of pieces of evidence are needed to assess students’ performance.
Learning tasks
-
Design evaluation
How well does the final design meet the needs of the intended audience?
Students ask someone to use the paper prototype and to provide feedback on the design. What questions arise from the user as they progress? Do they get confused? At what point? -
Student performance evaluation
What evidence can students provide that demonstrates their contribution to the project? When reflecting on the project what have they learned?
Supporting Resources
Evaluation and assessment: Part 1
This is an overview of assessment ideas and methods for computational thinking.
Evaluation and assessment: Part 2
This second video investigates how rubrics can be used to support understanding of the problem-solving process. It discusses how students could engage with decomposition and abstraction.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Evaluation of the final design and how well it meets the needs of the intended audience
- Reflection of the project and what the student has learned