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Learning to Code with a Boardgame

Posted by Zonk on from the learn-fun-not-hard dept.

markmcb writes "While some of us cling tight to our memories of Apple-filled classrooms playing The Oregon Trail and driving our Turtle around in Logo, children today have many other ways to learn about the inner-working of computers and the code that drives them. Wired.com is running an interesting article about a boardgame in which players must use simple logic similar to that used in programming to get their skier down the mountain. From the article: 'Using basic math, players have to figure out which paths are open to them and then decide the fastest way to the finish line. The trick, however, is learning which paths are open to you using only programmer jargon like 'if (X==1)' then you can take the green path or 'while (X4) you can take the orange path,' where X is the roll of the die.'"

4 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Goto? by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 0, Redundant

    This game is supposed to teach kids about programming and they are talking about Goto?

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    Technoli
  2. Already been done by dmccarty · · Score: 0, Redundant
    players must use simple logic similar to that used in programming to get their skier down the mountain.

    Hey, didn't Microsoft already come out with this?

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    Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
  3. Re:Inner workings of a computer by wed128 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    First off, the summary (didn't RTFA) never said they were forced to play. Second of all, it's a hell of a lot more usefull than some of the crap i learned in grammer school.

  4. Re:Yeah.... by DrMrLordX · · Score: 0, Redundant

    IN SOVIET RUSSIA, computers learn the inner workings of YOU!

    Violenty.

    Can you think of any better reason than that?