Computer Science Module Overview

This computer science module can be taught independently but is intended to be taught after the YES Middle School Engineering Eco-friendly Slippers unit. 

Students consider how a computer could be used to analyze qualitative data collected from slipper users. Students explore and modify a simple machine learning algorithm that categorizes user reviews as positive or negative.

  • Recommended for use with Engineering Eco-friendly Slippers, grades 6–8
  • Setting: In school
  • Computer science connections: Data and Analysis; Impacts of Computing
  • 2 lessons
  • 45 minutes per lesson
  • Student materials available in Spanish
  • Computational tools used: MATLAB interactives (free and web-based)
  • Materials needed: Materials kits are not available for purchase for computer science modules

View all YES Computer Science modules.

Standards alignment

YES computer science modules align with state and national computer science standards. View Engineering Eco-friendly Slippers and User Reviews Analysis Alignment or all Standards Alignments.

Module Map

Students learn that a computer needs training data to categorize user reviews as positive or negative. They compare how humans and computers identify patterns.

Students vary the amount of training data and adjust the computer’s word-selection criteria to understand how these factors affect the machine learning model’s accuracy.

Our funders

Major support for this project has been provided by MathWorks.

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What’s Included?

  • Teacher Guide (PDF)
  • Teacher Slides (Google Slides)
  • Print Materials (PDF)