off-roading:

practising computer science without a computer

There’s a hidden cost to all the rechargeable devices upon which we’ve become so dependent. Lithium and cobalt are required to build our devices and (for reasons that are beyond my comprehension) the mining of these raw materials seems to rely on child labour. Not only are these kids subjected to unsafe mining practices, they have no access to the very technology that their labour helps to build.

You’d think with all the effective altruism floating around in Silicon Valley, someone could figure out a way to prevent child labour in the mines where such essential raw materials are extracted. Unfortunately that’s not the case, even when tech bros like Elon Musk strike $200-million-dollar deals with mining companies like Glencore. I can guarantee you that if there was a profit to be made from the prevention of child labour then Big Tech would’ve invested in it, somehow based a cryptocurrency on it, lost its net worth three times over, and been bailed out by the American government because of it by now. Instead you’ve got me ranting into the void… Oh and some non-profit organizations that are actively working towards a solution.

One particular organization is called, “Friends of the Congo“ and their solution is the creation of Digital Club Houses where children and young adults can continue their education with access to computers. These centres also provide training and support to those looking for professional reintegration. I love their model for self-sufficient clubhouses, and I wish that kids around the world could have something similar. I may not be able to build a digital clubhouse in my neighbourhood, but I can tell you more about the foundational concepts of computer science.

There’s so much you can learn in computer science without ever going near a computer. I’ve come up with some exercises that can be completed indoors or outdoors, solo or with a group. You can think of these exercises as supplemental to the coding tutorials that I’ve created.

The “Off-Roading“ exercises you see below don’t require a computer, but they do require a sense of adventure ;)

exercise #1: logical operators

OUTDOOR GROUP

I bet you’re already pretty familiar with operators like “AND“, “OR“. In this exercise teamwork will help us to practice using negation, conjunction, and disjunction.

exercise #2: close the circuit

INDOOR GROUP

Connect a Power Source and Final Effect in a closed circuit of group members!

exercise #3: multiple big effects

OUTDOOR LARGE GROUP

Connect a Power Source to as many Big Effects as you can support. Just remember they have to be sustainable when you close the circuit and switch the power on!

exercise #4: secret function

INDOOR GROUP

Can you keep a secret? Good! Maybe you can participate as an INPUT or OUTPUT value, and help the rest of the group figure out the mathematical function you create.