NCompass Live: Board Games & Computer Science in Libraries

NCompass Live - September 4, 2024
http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/

Hall looks at using tabletop games to teach computer science. While programming can seem abstract and confusing, board games provide an excellent, tangible parallel for how it works. In the current golden age of tabletop gaming, libraries worldwide are adding board games to their collections. Get some ideas for different ways libraries can use these assets for education and outreach.

Presenter: Stephen Hall, Computer Science & Engineering Librarian, University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

1. Board Games & Computer Science in Libraries By Stephen Hall Computer Science & Engineering Librarian University of Pennsylvania

2. Overview Two things are happening simultaneously: Technical literacy is becoming a key part of overall information literacy A “Golden Age of Board Games” (ca. 1995-now) 2.1. Libraries are collecting games as loanable materials

3. Overview Board games provide an amazing framework for teaching computer science, and libraries are uniquely well positioned to use them as educational tools.

4. Concepts of Computer Science Computers function using a number of logic and data structures/operations, including: Booleans Conditionals Loops Comparison operators Variables/counting variables Pseudo-random number generation

5. Booleans True/False statements “It is raining outside.” True/False

6. Booleans True/False statements is_raining = True is_sunny = False

7. Conditionals If/Else statements “If you’re making oatmeal cookies, add raisins. Otherwise, add chocolate chips.”

8. Conditionals If/Else statements nut_allergy = True if nut_allergy == True: print ( "Don’t add nuts to the cookies" ) else : print ( "Add nuts to the cookies." )

9. Loops Iterating statements “For every dozen cookies you are making, add another set of ingredients.” “While batter is not thoroughly mixed, continue mixing.”

10. Loops Iterating statements aliens = [ "daleks" , " cylons " , " borg " , "cybermen" ] for alien in aliens: if alien[0] == "c" : print (alien) cylons cybermen

11. Comparison operators <, >, =, etc. Rory ate 5 cookies. Oliver ate 3 cookies. True False False rory_cookies > oliver_cookies rory_cookies < oliver_cookies rory_cookies == oliver_cookies

12. Variables/counting variables Incrementing/decrementing values We have no cookies. (c = 0) I make a dozen. (c = 12) You eat 2. (c = 10) I make another dozen. (c = 22) You eat 4. (c = 18)

13. Variables/counting variables Incrementing/decrementing values x = 1 x += 3 print (x) x -= 2 print (x) 2 4

14. Pseudo-random number generation “Pick a number” “Draw a marble from a bag of assorted marbles.”

15. Pseudo-random number generation “Pick a number” import random print ( random.randint (1,11)) print ( random.randint (1,101)) print ( random.randint (1,1001)) 4 84 231

16. Continuous vs. Discrete Mathematics Continuous Mathematics – Between any two numbers, there are an infinite number of other numbers. Discrete Mathematics – Built on finite sets. Between any two points are a known, fixed number of other points.

17. Continuous vs. Discrete Mathematics Continuous Mathematics – “Measured” You can buy 1.35 pounds of apples… Discrete Mathematics – “Counted” …but you can’t buy 1.35 cars.

18. Board Games are Discrete Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries , Days of Wonder , 2007

19. Board Games are Discrete Santorini , Roxley , 2016

20. Board Games are Discrete Orchard , Side Room Games , 2018

21. Board games are built on the same principles as computer programs. Even if you have never touched a programming environment, you have almost certainly interacted with programming concepts in a game.

22. When playing a game, a player’s job is to examine the options before them—a finite number of options—and choose the best one.

23. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Random number generation

24. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner

25. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables

26. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

27. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Conditionals Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

28. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

29. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Loops Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

30. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

31. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Booleans Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

32. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

33. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Objects/Classes/Instances Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

34. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Objects/Classes/Instances Player A, Player B, Player C, etc. Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

35. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Program code Objects/Classes/Instances Player A, Player B, Player C, etc. Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

36. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Program code Rulebook Objects/Classes/Instances Player A, Player B, Player C, etc. Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

37. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Executing program Program code Rulebook Objects/Classes/Instances Player A, Player B, Player C, etc. Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

38. Side-By-Side CS Principle Board Game Equivalent Example Executing program Playing the game Program code Rulebook Objects/Classes/Instances Player A, Player B, Player C, etc. Booleans Game states (player has a settlement in Catan , stone is surrounded in Go , worker space is available in Agricola ) Loops While all scores are below 10, continue playing. (Game loop) Conditionals If you roll 4+, the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses. Random number generation Rolling a die, drawing a card, spinning a spinner Variables/counting variables Player scores, influence tracks, hit points

39. Deep Blue vs. Garry Kasparov, 1996-1997. Kasparov wins first match, Deep Blue wins rematch. AlphaGo vs. Lee Sedol, 2016. AlphaGo wins 4 of 5 games.

40. “While” loop ( Arkham Horror , Fantasy Flight Games, 2005) While a race is in progress—and before “No more bets!” is called or a horse reaches the finish line—players may place each of their Bet Tokens… ( Ready Set Bet , AEG, 2022)

41. “For” loop For each of the 4 Resource districts in the Osiris action area, count how many game pieces each player has. The player with the most in that district scores 3 Victory Points. ( Tekhenu : Obelisk of the Sun , Board&Dice , 2020)

42. Conditional ( Arkham Horror , Fantasy Flight Games, 2005) If the investigator passes the Combat check, he defeats the monster… If the investigator fails the check, the monster deals its combat damage to him.

43. Comparison statement ( Arkham Horror , Fantasy Flight Games, 2005) Roll a number of dice equal to your Might. Your opponent does the same. Whoever rolls a higher result inflicts physical damage to the other explorer or monster. ( Betrayal at House on the Hill , Avalon Hill, 2010)

44. Incrementing variable Increase your power by 2 on the Power Track. ( Scythe , Stonemaier Games, 2016)

45. Boolean statement A player is eliminated if both of the following conditions are true: None of his units are on the board He does not have enough rubium to purchase more units ( Nexus Ops , Fantasy Flight Games, 2012)

46. Recommendations STEM Principle Board Game Recommendations Deduction Sleuth , Turing Machine , The Lost Code Combinatorics Patchwork , Hive , Go , Santorini , Onitama Set Theory Set , Tobago, On-Sets, Dinosaur Tea Party Probability Can’t Stop , Incan Gold , The Quacks of Quedlinburg Programming Turing Tumble , Robot Turtles , RoboRally Engineering Spintronics, Suspend, Gizmos Biology Genotype , Cytosis , Wingspan , Evolution

47. Discussion Where else do computer science principles appear in board games?

48. Stephen Hall [email protected]