Lecture "Introduction to Computational Thinking", exercise 3

[essepuntato]

Write down two objects or situations that refer to the same pattern if analysed from an abstract point of view, as introduced in Section "Abstraction is the key". What features do they have in common?

[lelax]

Two yellow spheres:
https://www.offsidesport.it/128660/nike-pallone-calcio-team-training-giallo.jpg
and
https://image.3bmeteo.com/images/user_foto/w_800/1036701588915499.jpg

[olgagolgan]

asking information to a person who is more prepared than us

i'm in the supermarket and i can't find pasta: i ask to the shop assistant where to find it

i'm in my computational thinking class and I don't understand the last sentence just explained by the professor: I ask him to explain it again for me and to tell me where i can find more info to clear my mind

[angstigone]

a backpack and a suitcase:

I use them both to bring along, comfortably, the stuff that I need to use when I am traveling and I am not at home.

the pattern is definitely the fact they are both used to carry what I need when I am outside of my house.

[LudovicaErre]

A picture and a photo: they represent an image, they can have a frame, they are a symbol of the author's thought process and expression

[martasoricetti]

A girl is watching a video recipe and she is writing on his paper notebook with a pen the ingredients, while a boy is listening to a lecture at the university and he is typing notes on his laptop.
In these situations there are people who are listening to something and are writing down something that they heard.

[Pablo751]

Two sport competitions, one of 100 meters running and one of 400 meters swimming. Both have a clear start and the same objective (getting first to the end line), but do it in a different way/medium

[Marethyu6]

"Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" ~ Mad Hatter to Alice, Alice in Wonderland

Because, when written down or spoken, both are elements of existence conceptualized by humans and described in a language (English in this case) made of abstract elements (sounds or characters) i.e. two words. The same abstraction could therefore apply as a correlation between any possible two words in any language, given the two words are representations of elements of existence.

However I was wondering: is this too far (general) as an abstraction, making it useless to point out in any real world situation (i.e. problem solving), and consequently to computational thinking as a whole? It may still serve as a comic relief for educational purposes though...
In that case, I appeal to the recent nerd culture which made me think of this example at first:

"That's how I learned that the real world doesn't always adhere to logic." ~ Michael Burnham, telling about her step-mother on Vulcan reading Alice in Wonderland to her as a child, Star Trek: Discovery

[ManueleVeggi]

The act of waiting for something or someone maintains similar patterns in different contexts. For instance, a traveller waiting for the train to arrive at the station and a patient for the visit of the doctor in the waiting room of a clinic: they are presumably doing similar activities to fill this spare time (reading a book/journal/magazine, listening to music, surfing the internet, chatting with other people etc.)

[CarmenSantaniello]

Composing and recording orchestration by putting together an orchestra made up by humans.
Composing and recording orchestration by using a specific software.
A different setting/situation but with the same purpose.

[francescabudel]

A puppet: an artificial reproduction of a human being controlled by a real person, existing as such in a delimitated space (ex. while being on someone's hand)
Our reflection: an artificial reproduction of a human being controlled by a real person, existing as such a in a delimitated space (ex. in a mirror or on any reflecting surface)

[chloeppd]

Sit. 1, in a classroom: Raising one's hand in to get the professor's attention in order to ask/answer a question.
Sit. 2, in a restaurant: Raising one's hand in order to ask for something from the waiter.
The setting is different but in both cases there should be two people, a signal, a reaction to the signal, followed by verbal communication.

[OrsolaMBorrini]

A high school student trying to figure out a solution to a mathematical equation and a chess player during a game.
They are both trying to find the best possible way, within a set of specific rules (mathematical rules and the rules of chess), to solve a specific problem (solving the mathematical equation and choosing the right move).
Moreover, they both probably need to do a lot of thinking (logical thinking, perhaps) to get out of the situation.

[mirna-regolo]

listen to the beat
A doctor uses his stethoscope to listen to patient's heartbeat, taking care to ensure the heart health.
A girl uses headphones to hear the rythm of her favorite music, to feel better.

Pragmatic thinking tells us that "are totally different things", two different settings. In the first, it's a professional and technical context in a public location; the second is a situation of privacy and entertainment.
But an abstract point of view about both of these examples shows the simple act of listen to the beat with the aim of feeling good.

[AmeliaLamargese]

The same patterns are involved in situations related to university studies, for example before starting my first year as a university student, I was worried about how to ask for financial assistance, so I had to begin with a trial-and-error behaviour by asking advices to my family, to the CAF, calling the university's offices, and after that I learned where, when and how to ask for financial assistance as a student. Thus, now I have been a university student for four years, it's been easier for me to prepare the necessary documentation and apply on time and so on.