The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report

Maarten Löffler

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8

The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report

Maarten Löffler^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The Algorithm Experience is an activity for students of algorithms, in which they take on the role of a computer, and execute an algorithm by hand on a paper machine: an unplugged machine that uses envelopes for memory cells and paper cards for values. The experience was initially targeted at high school or university students. In this experience report, we report on using the activity with primary school children in Louisiana in 2022 and 2023. We discuss several adaptation to the activity that were tried for this purpose and evaluate their success.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings
Editors	Henning Fernau, Jacqueline Staub, Inge Schwank
Publisher	Springer
Pages	104-114
Number of pages	11
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-031-73257-7
ISBN (Print)	978-3-031-73256-0
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	7th International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication, CMSC 2024 - Trier, Germany Duration: 7 Oct 2024 → 10 Oct 2024

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	15229 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	7th International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication, CMSC 2024
Country/Territory	Germany
City	Trier
Period	7/10/24 → 10/10/24

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8

978-3-031-73257-7_8Final published version, 2.32 MBLicence: Taverne

Cite this

Löffler, M. (2025). The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report. In H. Fernau, J. Staub, & I. Schwank (Eds.), Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings (pp. 104-114). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 15229 LNCS). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8

Löffler, Maarten. / The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools : An Experience Report. Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings. editor / Henning Fernau ; Jacqueline Staub ; Inge Schwank. Springer, 2025. pp. 104-114 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

@inproceedings{08f3bacfc1ac4ea0906bc18a407909d7,

title = "The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report",

abstract = "The Algorithm Experience is an activity for students of algorithms, in which they take on the role of a computer, and execute an algorithm by hand on a paper machine: an unplugged machine that uses envelopes for memory cells and paper cards for values. The experience was initially targeted at high school or university students. In this experience report, we report on using the activity with primary school children in Louisiana in 2022 and 2023. We discuss several adaptation to the activity that were tried for this purpose and evaluate their success.",

author = "Maarten L{\"o}ffler",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.; 7th International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication, CMSC 2024 ; Conference date: 07-10-2024 Through 10-10-2024",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-031-73256-0",

series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)",

publisher = "Springer",

pages = "104--114",

editor = "Henning Fernau and Jacqueline Staub and Inge Schwank",

booktitle = "Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings",

}

Löffler, M 2025, The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report. in H Fernau, J Staub & I Schwank (eds), Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 15229 LNCS, Springer, pp. 104-114, 7th International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication, CMSC 2024, Trier, Germany, 7/10/24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8

The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report. / Löffler, Maarten.
Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings. ed. / Henning Fernau; Jacqueline Staub; Inge Schwank. Springer, 2025. p. 104-114 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 15229 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools

T2 - 7th International Conference on Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication, CMSC 2024

AU - Löffler, Maarten

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - The Algorithm Experience is an activity for students of algorithms, in which they take on the role of a computer, and execute an algorithm by hand on a paper machine: an unplugged machine that uses envelopes for memory cells and paper cards for values. The experience was initially targeted at high school or university students. In this experience report, we report on using the activity with primary school children in Louisiana in 2022 and 2023. We discuss several adaptation to the activity that were tried for this purpose and evaluate their success.

AB - The Algorithm Experience is an activity for students of algorithms, in which they take on the role of a computer, and execute an algorithm by hand on a paper machine: an unplugged machine that uses envelopes for memory cells and paper cards for values. The experience was initially targeted at high school or university students. In this experience report, we report on using the activity with primary school children in Louisiana in 2022 and 2023. We discuss several adaptation to the activity that were tried for this purpose and evaluate their success.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206443046&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85206443046

SN - 978-3-031-73256-0

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

SP - 104

EP - 114

BT - Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings

A2 - Fernau, Henning

A2 - Staub, Jacqueline

A2 - Schwank, Inge

PB - Springer

Y2 - 7 October 2024 through 10 October 2024

ER -

Löffler M. The Algorithm Experience at Primary Schools: An Experience Report. In Fernau H, Staub J, Schwank I, editors, Creative Mathematical Sciences Communication - 7th International Conference, CMSC 2024, Proceedings. Springer. 2025. p. 104-114. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). Epub 2024 Oct 5. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-73257-7_8