Technologies · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Defining Computational Problems

Active learning works for this topic because students need to move from abstract ideas to concrete understandings. When children act out roles, investigate objects, and discuss real problems, they build mental models of how technology solves human challenges. Hands-on activities make the invisible work of programming visible and meaningful.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDIP01

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Robot Helper Fair

Students design a 'wearable' robot part (like a cardboard arm or a sensor hat). They then act as their robot in a 'fair', demonstrating to 'customers' (other students) how they help with a specific chore like picking up litter.

Differentiate between a general problem and a computational problem.

Facilitation Tip

During Role Play: The Robot Helper Fair, assign one student to be the ‘programmer’ who can only give verbal commands to the ‘robot,’ using no gestures, to clarify the role of code in directing actions.

What to look for

Present students with three scenarios: 1) A lost toy, 2) A robot that can sort blocks by color, 3) A drawing. Ask students to circle the scenarios that represent a computational problem and explain why for one of them.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Boring Job Solver

Students think of one job at home or school that they find really boring. They share it with a partner and together they brainstorm what kind of robot could do that job for them.

Analyze a real-world problem to identify its computational aspects.

Facilitation Tip

In Think-Pair-Share: The Boring Job Solver, listen for students to name observable steps in their chosen job, such as lifting, sorting, or scanning, to ensure their problems are computationally defined.

What to look for

Ask students: 'Imagine you want to design a machine to help clean your classroom. What are the different parts of this problem? What parts could a machine help with, and what parts would still need a person?' Record their ideas on a whiteboard.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Robot Parts Hunt

Give students a 'blueprint' of a robot. In small groups, they must decide which 'parts' the robot needs to do its job (e.g., wheels for moving, a camera for seeing, a scooper for cleaning) and draw them on.

Explain how problem definition influences the design of a technological solution.

Facilitation Tip

For Collaborative Investigation: Robot Parts Hunt, provide magnifying glasses and simple tools, and ask students to sketch each part’s function before matching it to a task, reinforcing the connection between form and purpose.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a simple problem (e.g., 'Too many leaves on the playground'). Ask them to write one sentence describing a computational aspect of this problem and one sentence explaining how defining this aspect helps design a solution.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by starting with familiar contexts, like classroom chores or playground tasks, to help students recognize problems that could be automated. Avoid introducing complex coding language early—focus instead on breaking tasks into clear steps. Research shows that students grasp computational thinking better when they first see a problem from the perspective of a tool, not a human, so frame robots as ‘programmable helpers’ rather than ‘smart machines.’

Successful learning looks like students identifying specific problems that a robot could solve, describing why those problems need computational thinking, and connecting the robot’s physical parts to its assigned tasks. They should articulate how a machine’s shape and movements match the job it was designed to do.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role Play: The Robot Helper Fair, watch for students who assume the ‘robot’ understands commands without clear instructions.

  Assign one student to be the ‘programmer’ who can only give specific, step-by-step verbal commands to the ‘robot.’ If the robot doesn’t move correctly, the programmer must adjust their instructions, demonstrating that robots require precise programming.

• During Collaborative Investigation: Robot Parts Hunt, watch for students who assume all robots must have arms or legs.

  Show photos or real examples of robots like a Roomba or a drone, and ask students to sort them by job, then describe why their shape matches their function. Have them record their observations in a simple table.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle