Making IT lessons easier

In an era of advancing digitalisation, schools around the world are facing the challenge of redesigning their teaching methods. In computer science in particular, it is clear just how wide the gap between pupils can be. Whilst some already have some programming experience, others approach the subject with absolutely no prior knowledge. The Algonautin platform aims to address precisely this issue and offer a solution to these challenges. Katharina Bade completed her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and was involved in developing the platform.

“The name "Algonautin" is a combination of the words "algorithm" and "astronaut",” explains the developer. “Algorithm because learning algorithms is one of the platform’s main focuses. And ‘astronaut’ because many of our tasks are set in space and the main character is an astronaut. It was also important to us to use the feminine suffix ‘-in’, as one of our key aims is to show that computer science is for girls too.”

Originally, the platform was intended for training for the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics. “Participants with very different backgrounds in computer science come together there to learn together,” reports Katharina Bade. “But we soon realised that the problem of varying levels of prior knowledge isn’t limited to Olympiad training. It affects the teaching of computer science as a whole, particularly in school lessons. That’s why we want to develop a platform that makes the introduction to programming and the world of algorithms easier and more accessible. It is designed to support teachers in the classroom by visualising abstract computer science concepts in an understandable way. At the same time, the platform offers opportunities to provide targeted support for stronger pupils without overwhelming the weaker ones,” says the computer scientist.

On the Algonautin platform, school pupils can solve programming tasks of varying levels of difficulty. (Screenshot: Katharina Bade)

A team of 13 people was involved in the development of Algonautin, including many students with experience in computer science competitions and initiatives for young talent. Algonautin is currently run by the Federal Computer Science Competition (Bwinf). The platform was deliberately designed so that it can be used directly in the browser without any installation and can be easily integrated into lessons, extracurricular clubs or competition groups.

“The tasks are sorted by topic and level of difficulty,” explains Katharina Bade. “Teachers can either use the ready-made courses or prepare their own to suit their lessons. There is an integrated development environment for this purpose, which supports several programming languages. The code written is executed immediately and checked automatically. In doing so, the platform not only checks whether the programme delivers the correct result, but also whether the appropriate algorithm has been used. Users receive immediate feedback. They can see which test cases work, where errors occur, and receive specific guidance on the cause. There is also an interactive debugger. It displays the programme flow step by step and shows exactly what the code is doing. This makes it easy for pupils to identify and understand their mistakes. It encourages them to try things out, improve and experiment, particularly during lessons when there is little time for individual feedback,” explains Katharina Bade.

The Algonautin platform has been in use for two years now. “In Germany, we currently have more than 1,000 registered teachers, and the platform is used regularly, almost daily, in the classroom. We often receive positive feedback from enthusiastic teachers and pupils. In the future, we hope to reach even more schools so that we can make a more far-reaching difference in education,” explains Katharina Bade.

However, work on the platform is far from complete. New tasks, additional subject areas and even better support for teaching are already on the agenda. “In the long term, we want to cover the entire computer science curriculum with a broader range of resources and develop the platform so that it integrates even more seamlessly into everyday school life,” explains Katharina Bade. To this end, the team regularly attends teachers’ conferences to gather feedback directly from the classroom and incorporate it into further development.

On a personal level, Katharina Bade is also looking to the future with confidence. Alongside her Master’s degree at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, she continues to work on the platform. “We’re still right at the beginning,” she says, “but our goal is to make computer science education accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of their background or prior experience,” the student concludes.