CASScot12: The Conjurer's Classroom

{Live capture from CASScot12 presentation.}

Convergence of Computing and conjuring. Brings together: Computational Thinking, Creativity, Confidence and CfE.

Computational Thinking
Algorithms, computer programming, testing, algebra and abstraction. You can demonstrate these things through things such as self-working card tricks. Allows learners to see that following a set of instructions carefully will always produce the magic effect. Important that the magic trick always works: cf. testing a program. We can use algebra to prove tricks and programs work which leads naturally to abstraction.

Creativity: encourage people to think laterally.

Self confidence: magic is about performance and can lead to increase confidence.

Learning intentions: might not always be revealed until after the trick. Talked about. Gave example of sleight of mind where you choose a card and then computer guesses it and destroys it. There are learning outcomes can come out of it related to salience and for example relation to HCI.

Another example was using an algorithm to develop a magic square.

Entertaining and Interesting contexts to introduce difficult concepts.