Unplugged Activities
Table of Contents
Bloom's Level
Use
Setting
Activity
Technology
Related Strategies
Description
Unplugged activities are learning experiences in computer science (CS) that occur away from the computer. They are often collaborative, hands-on activities or activities completed using paper and pencil. Unplugged activities help students to digest concepts and review or prepare for learning concepts and skills using a device. With unplugged activities, students can explore concepts in ways that relate to their own lives. Unplugged activities play a critical role in computer science lessons because, when intentionally integrated into units of study that involve the use of a device, they help students build knowledge and understanding in different ways.
When To Use It
As a learning strategy, use unplugged activities when you want students to:
- engage in activities that help them connect CS concepts to their own lives
- work collaboratively with their classmates to reinforce concepts and skills
- develop an understanding of abstract concepts through a kinesthetic experience
- review previously learned CS concepts
- demonstrate their understanding of CS concepts
As an instructional strategy, use unplugged activities when you want to:
- introduce abstract concepts
- provide a kinesthetic learning experience to help students process complicated concepts
- promote a collaborative learning environment
- review previously learned CS concepts
- assess students’ computational thinking and computer science skills
How To Use It
Advance Prep
Unplugged activities should be planned just like any other well-designed lesson plan. The key is that an unplugged lesson is intentionally placed in the CS unit of study to maximize its benefit.
- Identify your learning goals and objectives. Consider how this activity might prepare students for learning a CS concept, reinforce a concept, or meaningfully connect concepts to students’ lives.
- Determine how student understanding will be assessed.
- Plan the sequence of instructional and practice activities. Try to include opportunities for collaborative or cooperative learning.
- Identify materials and resources needed.
- There are many websites that include ready-made CS Unplugged activities for you to implement or modify to meet your needs. Consider searching for existing unplugged activities before developing your own from scratch.
Implementation
- Introduce the activity and explain how it connects to the CS concepts they are, or will be, learning about.
- Preview or model what students are expected to accomplish.
- Monitor students as they engage in the activity and support students as needed.
- Debrief the activity. Allow students to articulate what they learned and the connections they made between CS and their own lives.
Pros
- Promote a collaborative classroom environment
- Help build knowledge and understanding in different ways
- Provide opportunities for collaborative and cooperative learning
- Help students digest abstract concepts in meaningful ways that relate to their lives
- Make learning engaging and accessible to diverse learners
- Provide an alternative activity if there are issues or limitations with accessing devices
- Help to connect computer science to other disciplines
Cons
- Depending on the nature of the activity, a lot of materials may be needed.
- If students only complete unplugged activities in a unit of study, making connections to real world computer science concepts is more difficult.
Culturally Responsive Application
Integrating unplugged activities aligns with culturally responsive teaching because it gives students an opportunity to engage with CS concepts in ways that are meaningful and relevant to their lives. Not only does it break down barriers of entry for underrepresented students, but it also makes learning computer science engaging and accessible to diverse learners. Teachers can use unplugged activities to connect concepts to students’ experiences, interest, and cultures. Teachers can also use these activities to have students examine the current and historical socio-political contexts within which the CS is situated.
Emerging English Language Support
Involved adopting educational robots to enhance CT and to provide English vocabulary and sentence practice via a board game.
Students with Disabilities Support
The accommodations and assistive technology to support Computational Thinking and Computer Science implementation for students with disabilities need to be an explicit part of a teacher’s planning.
Subjects
5.1 Computing systems, 5.2 Networks & the internet, 5.3 Data & analysis, 5.4 Algorithms & programming, 5.5 Impacts of computing