Educational Guide
Diving Deeper into Algorithms

By KCJ and CCUNESCO

AlgorithmLiteracy.org #GetAlgoLit #kids2030

Table of contents
Introduction3
How to develop Algorithm Literacy
4
Developing Algorithm Awareness
5
Exploration questions5
Preference Bubbles
6
AI systems you know
7Knowing your bubble
8
More Resources
8
Digital Citizenship, Algorithms, and AI
9Activity: Circle of privacy
9Activity: Screen time diary
11
References13
Going Further
13This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Introduction
An algorithm is any set of routines, rules, or commands. Our relationship with algorithms began long before computers were invented, but has intensified at a rapid pacein recent years with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) . This education and activity
guide focuses on the computer and AI algorithms that impact our relationship with
online information and media.
Since many of us started using the internet, an entire generation has been born thathas only experienced a world mediated by computer algorithms and driven, often invisibly, by the data these algorithms collect.
Today’s kids and teens don’t necessarily know that the world wasn’t always like this,that there was a time when the consumption of information happened more slowly andinvolved more reflection and human decision making. They also don’t know that theadults around them may not know how these algorithms work.
We hope that this campaign will provide three benefits to young people and the adults
around them. First, to bring awareness to the increasingly interdependent relationshipwe are developing with these algorithms. Second, to provide ways for kids, parents andeducators to start a discussion around this new reality. Finally, to suggest activities
and direct kids, parents and educators to resources that will empower them to better
understand what’s happening behind the screen. This will empower kids and adults
alike to collaborate and create the communities of practice that offer us opportunities to redress the imbalances that may arise from our evolving relationship with thisincreasingly powerful force in our society.

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How to develop Algorithm Literacy
This discussion guide explores three big ideas:

1. Media is always constructed.
AI algorithms play a significant new role in that construction, curating
content for individual users in ways these users may not fully understand.

2. With AI, this construction is driven by data.
Digital citizens will need new knowledge and better practices to shareand protect our data.

3. Our relationship with algorithms is interdependent.
To gain more power in this relationship, we can strengthen algorithm
literacy alongside other thinking skills like critical thinking, problem
solving and creative thinking. This will better ensure that the content
mediated by algorithms is diverse and discoverable, and that we are
better able to balance our online and offline activities.

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Developing
Algorithm AwarenessGoing beyond digital literacy and developing digital wisdom starts with a curiosity
about what’s happening behind the screen. Any learning journey involves a period ofrecognizing and unlearning anything that might be a stumbling block on the path to
new insights.
Many of us have become passive consumers of digital information, so an investigationof the causes and consequences of these learned behaviours can be a great place tostart developing a willingness to build new relationships with algorithms.

Exploration questions:
1. How much do you and the people around you know aboutalgorithms, what they are and how they work?
Ask people in your school, home, or community to explain what analgorithm is and how it works. If you meet an expert, (someone who
knows algorithms really well, like a programmer or computer scientist)
ask how day-to-day algorithms (to-do lists, math problems, fire drills) are
different from computer algorithms. How are AI algorithms different fromtraditional computer algorithms? How easy is it for the expert to
explain this?

2. How much impact do algorithms have in your life?
Consider how much of your daily information consumption is managed byalgorithms. How often do you use search engines? Are you curious about
how a search engine decides what is going to be most useful, interesting, important information for you to know? How often do you choose aYouTube video, movie or song recommended to you by
a computer?

3. What are the advantages of having your choices mediatedby an algorithm?
And, what are the disadvantages of having choices mediated byan algorithm?

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By KCJ and CCUNESCO

Preference Bubbles

AI's influence inyour life.
WHAT I LIKEPERSONAL
PREFERENCES

AI SUGGESTSTO ME

WHAT'S SUGGESTED

Young people have likely noticed that content on the internet and on their phones has
been customized to reflect their preferences. The increasing presence of “preference
bubbles,” a unique universe of information customized for each of us, is a result of thesophisticated application of AI and its use of algorithms.
AI can be extremely efficient in sorting through huge amounts of data. While bubbles
can save us time looking for new content, and make suggestions that we might not beaware of, they can have negative consequences.
These habits can reward and strengthen impulsivity and distraction. Choices may belimited to formulaic content that is easy for computers to categorize. AI can’t recognize that a movie may be interesting because it blends comedy and drama. It might justnotice that you like comedy.
AI can lead us to new content we may not have heard of, but it can make complex,
original material hard to find, and distract us from the effort it takes to find and learn
about something new.
The good news is that by becoming more aware of these bubbles, and taking more
control of what we choose to consume, we can have more influence on how AI
determines our choices.
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AI systems you know
An introduction to where and why AI is used by online platforms

Do we know online platforms that use AI?
••

Who knows that Youtube and Instagram use AI?
AI gets “smarter” as more data gets added to its data set. Thinking about YouTube,
Instagram or Netflix, what type of data do these systems gather from users likeourselves?

These AIs use preferences as “training data.” Every time we watch or like a video,comment or type into a search bar, this data is stored and used to predict
user preferences.

Why?
•
•

So you can access more interesting or relevant content.
To encourage users to spend more time on the platform.

This comes with consequences••

We will see the same types of content because the AI will always recommend
something similar to what we were searching for or previously chose. This is an
example of the preference bubble in action.
We may spend more time than we intended to on the platform.

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Knowing your bubble
Ask the class what they are looking at online and what Instagram, TikTok or YouTube
recommends for them.
Do all students see the same, or dramatically different recommendations, even though
they are the same age, or living in the same neighborhood or town?
Or are they always looking at the same kind of videos and photos or interacting withsimilar links?
Do students know how to expand their bubble to find content that is more diverse, local
or relevant to their needs?

Knowing your preference bubble gives you the power to:•••

Check your emotions - once you are browsing online, how long do you want to stay?
Is it how you want to spend your free time?
Curate your content - talk to your friends, your parents, your teachers about what
you look at, and get suggestions about what they like.
You train the AI! Expand your bubble!

More Resources
arrow-right

Gender Shades shows the potential for discrimination and the need for diversity in the
training data of AI.

arrow-right

TuringBox is a controlled environment that enables the behavioural study of, and the
production of new, socially-aware AI©Kids Code Jeunesse 2020

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Digital Citizenship,
Algorithms, and AI
These lessons are designed to help students develop responsible online habits,
maintain a healthy relationship with their screen time and protect their digital privacy.
Each lesson starts with a short class discussion to introduce the key concepts of
AI. These activities can take place unplugged. The lesson ends with a short wrap-up
discussion. The lessons are independent from one another and can be done over thecourse of a few days or a few weeks (i.e. one activity per week).

Activity: Circle of privacy
Recommended duration: 30 min
Learning objectives: Become familiar with the concepts of keeping yourpersonal information safe from others. Understand the importance of yourpersonal information, and why privacy settings online matter.
Materials: Computer or a pen and paper
Theme: Private vs. personal information

Warm-up discussion:
Ask: Have you ever seen photos of you or one of your friends online? If so, where? Have
you shared pictures or videos online? On what platform? Have you ever had someone
share a picture of you without your permission? How did you feel about that?

©Kids Code Jeunesse 2020

Note:
It is important tocreate a safe spacefor your students
to share theirexperience.

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By KCJ and CCUNESCO

Activity
Draw 5 concentric circles on the white board, and label them as shown below:

THE WORLDSM

C OU N TR Y
THE
COMMUNI TY
MYR IE
Y F NDME

Ask the class to place each sentence in the circle that they believe represents who canaccess this information:
•
•
•
•
•

A picture or a video on my phone
A picture in the local paper
A video on national television
A video on a private YouTube channel or Instagram account
A video on a public YouTube channel or Instagram accountReflection
Online accounts can be private or public. When using ‘private’ settings, you can control
who sees what you share. Be mindful that accounts are usually set to be public bydefault, and it is up to you to modify your privacy settings.
When you post something online, there is a chance that it will never disappear.
You might be comfortable with sharing something today, but you might not feel thesame way in the future.

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By KCJ and CCUNESCO

Activity: Screen time diary
It is important to take a step back and check our emotions when engaging withtechnology. Platforms are designed to capture our attention, and it is very easy to getlost in the content and spend more time online than we intend to.
Algorithms are powered by repetition and are designed to encourage us to repeat
behaviours and develop routines that make these platforms a daily part of our lives.
We must be aware of behaviour loops: repeated behaviours that may not be in our bestinterest and that may make the problematic digital behaviours even worse. Creating
our own routines--our own algorithms--is one of the best ways to regain control andrestore balance to our lives.

Learning objectives: Reflect on screen time, online habits, and behaviour
loops. Develop healthy habits and strategies around screen time management.
Materials: Computer or a pen and paper
Theme: Healthy online habits

Warm-up discussion
Ask students: Have you ever kept a diary? What do you do after school? Have you everthought about how much time you spend online each day?

Activity
Ask students to reproduce these 5 columns on their paper, and log all activities in frontof a screen for a day, a week, or a month, including activities at school:

WHAT?

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WHEN?

HOW LONG?

WITH WHOM?

Note:
It is important tocreate a safe spacefor your students
to share theirexperience.

HOW DID IT
MAKE YOU
FEEL?

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Explain each column:• What: what were you doing? (watching a video, watching TV, playing a video game)• When: when was it ? (after school, before dinner, after dinner)• How long: how much time? (20 minutes )• With whom: who were you with (your parents, your sister, brother, friends, alone)• How did it make you feel: watching funny cat videos can make you feel happy but
playing video games can make you feel frustrated.

Reflection
What is influencing your online routines? Are you watching YouTube because you feelsad, lonely, or want a good laugh? Do you want to relax by playing a video game thatgives you a fun challenge?
Is this repeated behaviour the best way to meet these needs, or might there be otherbehaviours that could solve the problem, like making new connections through a clubor a group of people with shared interests? Would you consider experimenting with adifferent routine?
Timing yourself and checking your emotions are two great strategies to make sure you
are not missing out on other aspects of life, while getting the most out of your online
experience. Would you consider using these strategies in your offline life?

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References
For more information on digital citizenship and other ideas of exciting activities to dowith your class, check out Media Smarts and Common Sense Media.

Going Further
KCJ’s Code in the Classroom workshops: Artificial IntelligenceThis 2-hour workshop will introduce kids to the concepts behind Artificial Intelligence(AI), through computational thinking and interactive games and activities.
The workshop aims to give students the tools and knowledge needed to understandwhat AI is, how it affects our daily lives, and how it shapes our online experiences.

Code Club Canada
Code Club Canada is a volunteer driven network of coding clubs across Canada with asubstantial bank of projects in both official languages.

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