Resources
Inspiration for helping learners reason about AI and computer science.
Helping learners reason about AI and computer science
My teaching interests center on a question: how can we make students’ reasoning visible, discussable, and open to revision? Visual explanations, peer discussion, and thoughtful use of AI offer different ways to explore that question.
The collection below combines tools I use with resources to explore. The classroom prompts are ideas for adaptation, rather than reports of measured learning outcomes.
Manim — make a mathematical process visible
Manim Community is a Python library for creating mathematical animations. I use Manim as one of my tools for developing visual explanations of computational concepts.
A classroom prompt: Pause an animation before the next transformation. Ask students to predict what will change and explain why, then compare their reasoning with the animation.
Remotion — build explanations with code
Remotion supports creating videos and motion graphics with React. I use it alongside other visualization tools to make abstract processes more concrete.
A design prompt: Show an algorithm’s input, intermediate state, and output in a consistent visual layout. Keep notation stable so learners can follow the relationship between the steps.
CS Unplugged — explore ideas through activities
CS Unplugged offers activities for exploring computer science without programming. It is a useful resource to explore when designing an accessible introduction to a new concept.
A classroom prompt: Begin with a physical or paper-based activity, then ask students to connect each action to a step in the algorithm they will implement.
Deep Learning — connect intuition with formal ideas
The online Deep Learning textbook, by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio, and Aaron Courville, provides a reference for mathematical foundations and machine learning concepts.
A learning prompt: Pair a short reading with a visual explanation. Ask students to identify what the visualization captures well and what assumptions it leaves out.
An idea that shapes my teaching
Jacques Rancière’s The Ignorant Schoolmaster (1987) informs my use of peer instruction. I invite students to contribute explanations, examine one another’s reasoning, and take intellectual responsibility while I provide structure and disciplinary guidance.