Introduction To Inductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning & Pattern Recognition
Most of the problem solving activities students engage in school only require students to solve a specific case (or several cases) of a problem. They are normally given some formula and/or theories and learn how apply them to specific cases. For example, students may learn the formula for solving quadratic equations and then are asked to solve a particular quadratic equation. Or they learn how to factor a polynomial, and asked to factor a particular polynomial. This is known as “deductive reasoning” – going from general to specific.
However, in computational problem solving, the objective is for you to “teach” the computer to solve a class of problems (not just a few cases). You need to be able to generalize your solution to the specific cases to solution to the general problem. This requires a new reasoning skill: inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning is about going from specific to general. Inductive reasoning is a process of exploration and discovery. You discover similarity (patterns) in your solution processes to the specific cases, and use that to develop a general solution to the whole class of problems. “Pattern recognition” is indeed one of the core component of computational thinking. In order to detect patterns in your thought process, you need to be able to “inspect” your thought process, i.e. thinking about thinking, also known as metacognition.
This course is designed to be accessible to students with a wide range of programming background. We will use fun puzzles and games to introduce students to the concept and the process of inductive reasoning. By guiding students through the process of solving a puzzle or developing a winning strategy for a game, students learn how to detect patterns in their solution to specific cases and use them to generalize their solution. Students will then use their discovery (hypothesis) to create a computer program to solve the general cases of the puzzle or to create an “AI Player” for a game that can change their friends. The curriculum focuses on developing students’ problem solving and metacognitive skill.