Tag Archives: algorithms

Going with the flow – using flowcharts in the classroom

Flowcharts are traditionally used to represent an algorithm or process. You have a series of boxes which are organised sequentially and connected with arrows, allowing you to trace a path through a series of steps or questions, leading to a specific outcome or solution to a problem. The example on wikipedia looks like this:

Nerd heaven. Recently I’ve seen quite a few witty flowcharts online, the kind that can make you smile by applying the rigid formality of an algorithm to a facetious or pseudo-existential question. Like this, for example, which I found here:

 

There is even an algorithm designed especially for teachers confronted with the eternal dilemma of what to do when students ask to go to the bathroom, designed by Amanda Heyn:

 

 

I thought that it might be interesting to get students to create flowcharts of their own. As well as being an enjoyable and challenging activity, there are real language learning benefits as well.

Consider this: a lesson from OUP’s insight dealing with the easily confused verbs say, speak, talk and tell.

The coursebook encourages students to read the dictionary entries for the given words. Follow-up questions focus their attention on the tips on usage provided in the dictionary entries.

 

The students can comprehend this, but do they really understand it? I wanted to get students engaging with this information more actively, and decided to use flowcharts as a way of helping them to appreciate the nuances governing the correct usage of the four verbs.

So I used three of the questions in exercise 3 as the basis for a flowchart helping students to determine which verb to use:

Choose a verb. Follow the flowchart. Does it work? Great. Choose another verb and start again. It seems to me that the decision-making procedure inherent in the algorithmic approach engages students’ cognition in a challenging and appealing way.

The next step was to ask students to see if they could create a flowchart of their own – using the remaining questions from exercise 3 – to solve the same usage dilemma. Here is one of the results:

 

Not all students have minds  that work as systematically as this, but those who do enjoy thinking about language analytically will certainly enjoy the challenge of representing language usage rules algorithmically. Try it out!

Another great advantage of flowcharts is their visual appeal and interactivity. When students have completed a flowchart, it can be passed around for others to try out. When displayed on the classroom wall, you can be sure that other students will notice it and engage with it.

For a more light-hearted activity, ask students to think of a ‘big question’ or dilemma and to design a flowchart. The results are often hilarious. I will leave you with two from my own students:

Do I have cookies?

Do I have cookies?

 

Should I do this flowchart?

Should I do this flowchart?