1. Introduction:

This briefing document summarizes the key information and themes present in the provided excerpts related to the "Knight's Introduction no hint Tour Game HTML5 Javascript Applet" and its associated single-player strategy game. Both resources are part of the Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore project. The applet is designed as an interactive tool, likely for educational purposes, to engage users in a simplified version of the classic Knight's Tour problem.

2. Main Themes and Important Ideas:

• Interactive Learning Tool: The core theme of these resources is the provision of an interactive game as a learning tool. The "Knight's Tour Game HTML5 JavaScript Applet" is described as a "simple interactive that attempts to simulate a 'Knight's Tour' game." This highlights its intention to provide a hands-on experience rather than just theoretical information.
• Focus on Critical Thinking: A key pedagogical goal of the game is to foster critical thinking skills. The description explicitly states: "The aim of this game is to facilitate the critical thinking of students as they plan out the best route for the knight to achieve the highest score." This emphasizes the strategic element involved in playing the game and the cognitive benefits it aims to provide.
• Simplified Knight's Tour: The applet offers a simplified version of the Knight's Tour by allowing players to choose from smaller board sizes: "a 3 by 3, 4 by 4, or 5 by 5 board." This makes the problem more accessible, especially for introductory purposes or younger learners.
• Objective of Maximizing Coverage: The game has a clear objective: "to cover as many squares as possible with the knight chess piece (only touching each square once) until the knight runs out of moves." This provides a measurable goal for the player and encourages strategic planning to achieve a higher score.
• Varying Levels of Difficulty and Possibility: The description includes a crucial hint regarding the solvability of the game on different board sizes: "(Hint: It is not possible to cover every square for a 3 by 3 or 4 by 4 board, but it is possible for a 5 by 5 board.)" This adds an element of discovery and encourages experimentation on different board configurations.
• Accessibility and Embeddability: The applet is developed using HTML5 and JavaScript, making it accessible through web browsers without the need for additional plugins. Furthermore, the provided embed code (<iframe width="100%" height="100%" src="https://iwant2study.org/lookangejss/math/ejss_model_knight_intro_no_hint/knight_intro_no_hint_Simulation.xhtml " frameborder="0"></iframe>) indicates that the model is designed to be easily embedded into other web pages or learning platforms.
• Attribution and Licensing: Both excerpts clearly provide attribution to the creators and contributors: "Shaun Quek; Loo Kang Wee; based on idea by Theresa Heng; Francisco Esquembre; Félix Jesús Garcia Clemente". The license information ("Released under a license" in the second excerpt, and "Contents are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License" in the first) promotes open educational resource principles by allowing for sharing and adaptation under certain conditions. The commercial use of the underlying EasyJavaScriptSimulations Library has a separate license.
• Connection to Educational Resources: The applet is hosted within a broader collection of open educational resources focused on physics and mathematics, suggesting its intended use within educational settings. The inclusion under the "Mathematics" and "Games" categories further reinforces this. The presence of "Sample Learning Goals" and a section "For Teachers" (though the content is "[text]") indicates that pedagogical considerations were part of the design.
• Technical Foundation: The mention of "Compiled with EJS 6.1 BETA (201115)" in the second excerpt reveals the Easy Java/JavaScript Simulations (EJS) toolkit as the underlying technology used to create the interactive model.

3. Key Facts and Information:

• Title of the Applet: Knight's Introduction no hint Tour Game HTML5 Javascript Applet
• Creators/Contributors: Shaun Quek, Loo Kang Wee, Theresa Heng (idea), Francisco Esquembre, Félix Jesús Garcia Clemente.
• Technology: HTML5, JavaScript, Easy Java/JavaScript Simulations (EJS).
• Game Objective: Cover as many squares as possible with a knight, visiting each square only once.
• Board Sizes: 3x3, 4x4, and 5x5 grids are available.
• Embed Code: Provided for easy integration into web pages.
• Learning Goal: Facilitate critical thinking skills.
• Solvability Hint: Not possible to cover all squares on 3x3 or 4x4 boards, but possible on a 5x5 board.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License (for content), separate license for commercial use of EJS library.
• Hosting Platform: Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore (iwant2study.org).

4. Potential Use Cases:

Based on the description, this applet could be valuable for:

• Introducing the concept of the Knight's Tour in mathematics or recreational mathematics lessons.
• Providing a hands-on activity to develop strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Engaging students with an interactive game that has mathematical underpinnings.
• Serving as a self-directed learning tool for exploring patterns and possibilities on different grid sizes.
• Teachers looking for readily embeddable interactive resources to supplement their lessons.

5. Further Considerations:

• The excerpt mentions "Sample Learning Goals" and "For Teachers" but does not provide the actual content. Accessing the live applet or related documentation might reveal more specific pedagogical guidance.
• The extensive list of other resources on the same platform suggests a rich collection of interactive simulations and learning tools available.
• The "No hint" in the title implies that the initial version of this specific applet does not provide in-game guidance, encouraging independent problem-solving.

This briefing document provides a comprehensive overview of the information presented in the provided excerpts. The "Knight's Introduction no hint Tour Game HTML5 Javascript Applet" appears to be a well-designed and accessible tool for engaging users in a simplified version of the Knight's Tour problem, with a clear focus on developing critical thinking skills within an open educational resource framework.

Knight's Tour Game Study Guide

Overview

This study guide is designed to help you review the "Knight's Tour Game" interactive applet and its related information. The game challenges players to strategically move a knight chess piece across a board, attempting to visit as many squares as possible without landing on any square more than once. This interactive tool aims to foster critical thinking and planning skills.

Key Concepts

• Knight's Tour: A mathematical problem involving moving a knight chess piece on a chessboard such that it visits every square exactly once. While a full tour is not always possible on smaller boards (like the 3x3 and 4x4 grids in this game), the game encourages maximizing the number of visited squares.
• Chess Knight Movement: Understanding how a knight moves is crucial to playing the game. A knight moves in an "L" shape: two squares in one of the four cardinal directions (horizontal or vertical), then one square perpendicularly.
• Critical Thinking: The game requires players to think ahead, evaluate potential moves, and plan a sequence of steps to achieve the objective of covering the most squares.
• Strategy: Players must develop strategies to explore the board efficiently, considering the limitations of the knight's movement and avoiding getting trapped in a position with no further valid moves.
• Interactive Learning: The applet provides a hands-on way to learn about spatial reasoning and problem-solving through direct engagement with the game mechanics.
• Open Educational Resource (OER): This resource is freely available for educational purposes, allowing for embedding and adaptation.

Quiz

Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

1. What is the primary objective of the Knight's Tour Game presented in the source material?
2. Describe the unique movement pattern of the knight chess piece in relation to the game.
3. What are the different board sizes available for players to choose from in the Knight's Tour Game applet?
4. According to the description, what cognitive skill is the game intended to facilitate among students?
5. Is it possible to cover every square on all available board sizes in the Knight's Tour Game? Explain your answer.
6. What type of technology is used to develop the Knight's Tour Game applet described in the source?
7. Who are credited with the creation and inspiration for the Knight's Tour Game applet?
8. Where can the Knight's Tour Game applet be embedded for use in other online platforms?
9. Besides the Knight's Tour Game, what other types of interactive resources are mentioned on the same webpage? Provide one example.
10. What is the license under which the content of the Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore website is shared?

Answer Key

1. The primary objective of the Knight's Tour Game is for the player to move a knight chess piece around a board and visit as many squares as possible without landing on the same square more than once. The goal is to maximize the number of covered squares before the knight runs out of valid moves.
2. A knight moves in an "L" shape, meaning it travels two squares either horizontally or vertically, and then one square perpendicular to that direction. This distinctive movement pattern dictates the possible moves from any given square on the board.
3. The Knight's Tour Game applet allows players to choose from three different board sizes: a 3 by 3 grid, a 4 by 4 grid, and a 5 by 5 grid, offering varying levels of challenge.
4. The description explicitly states that the aim of the game is to facilitate the critical thinking of students as they plan out the optimal route for the knight to achieve the highest score by strategically considering future moves.
5. No, it is not possible to cover every square on all board sizes. The description provides a hint stating that it is not possible to cover every square on the 3 by 3 or 4 by 4 boards, but it is possible on the 5 by 5 board.
6. The Knight's Tour Game applet described in the source is developed using HTML5 and JavaScript, making it an interactive web-based application.
7. Shaun Quek and Loo Kang Wee are credited with the creation, based on an idea by Theresa Heng, with contributions from Francisco Esquembre and Félix Jesús Garcia Clemente.
8. The Knight's Tour Game applet can be embedded in other webpages using the provided iframe code, allowing it to be integrated into various online learning environments or platforms.
9. Besides the Knight's Tour Game, the webpage lists numerous other interactive resources, such as simulations related to Newtonian Mechanics (Gravity), Mathematics (Fractions Bar Model), and Physics concepts (Multiple Slit Diffraction).
10. The content of the Open Educational Resources / Open Source Physics @ Singapore website is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License.

Essay Format Questions

Consider the following questions and plan a well-structured essay response for each.

1. Discuss the educational value of using games like the Knight's Tour Game to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills to students. Provide specific examples from the game's description to support your arguments.
2. Analyze the design of the Knight's Tour Game applet in the context of interactive learning. How do the features described (board sizes, objective, lack of hints in the introductory version) contribute to the user's engagement and learning experience?
3. Compare and contrast the challenges and strategies involved in playing the Knight's Tour Game on the different board sizes (3x3, 4x4, and 5x5). How does the possibility (or impossibility) of a full tour affect the player's approach?
4. Explore the role of Open Educational Resources (OER) like the Knight's Tour Game in promoting accessible and engaging learning experiences. What are the benefits of such resources for educators and learners?
5. Based on the description and learning goals of the Knight's Tour Game, how could this interactive applet be integrated into a broader curriculum or lesson plan to enhance student learning in mathematics or logic?

Glossary of Key Terms

• Applet: A small application, often written in Java or JavaScript, that runs within another application, typically a web browser.
• HTML5: The latest evolution of the standard that defines the structure and content of the web, enabling rich interactive experiences.
• JavaScript: A high-level, often just-in-time compiled, multi-paradigm programming language that is essential for interactive web pages.
• Critical Thinking: The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
• Strategy: A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim.
• Interactive: Involving mutual activity or influence, where the user can actively engage with and receive feedback from the system.
• Open Educational Resources (OER): Teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely available for use, adaptation, and sharing, with few or no restrictions.
• Simulation: A representation or model of a system or process, often used for learning or experimentation.
• Embedding: The process of integrating content from one website or application into another, often using code like iframes.
• Spatial Reasoning: The capacity to think about objects in three dimensions and to draw conclusions about those objects from limited information.

HTML5 JavaScript applet, inspired by the classic mathematical problem of the Knight's Tour in chess. The objective is for the player to move a knight chess piece around a board, attempting to land on as many unique squares as possible without revisiting any square. The game ends when the knight has no legal moves remaining.

2. What are the different board sizes available in the game?

Players can choose to play the Knight's Tour Game on three different board sizes: a 3x3, a 4x4, or a 5x5 grid. This variation in board size offers different levels of challenge and affects the potential maximum score achievable.

3. What is the primary learning objective of this game?

The main goal of the Knight's Tour Game is to encourage and facilitate critical thinking skills in students. By planning out the knight's moves strategically, players aim to find the optimal path to maximize the number of visited squares, thus engaging in problem-solving and logical reasoning.

4. Is it possible to visit every square on each of the available board sizes?

The game description explicitly states that it is not possible to cover every square on the 3x3 or 4x4 boards. However, it is possible to achieve a full tour (visiting every square once) on the 5x5 board, presenting a greater strategic challenge.

5. How is this interactive game delivered and can it be embedded elsewhere?

The Knight's Tour Game is developed as an HTML5 JavaScript applet. This means it can be played directly within a web browser without the need for additional plugins. Furthermore, the provided <iframe> code allows educators or website owners to easily embed the interactive game into other webpages.

6. Who are the creators and contributors to this Knight's Tour Game?

The development of this applet is credited to Shaun Quek and Loo Kang Wee, based on an idea by Theresa Heng. The project also acknowledges the contributions of Francisco Esquembre and Félix Jesús Garcia Clemente, likely for their work on the Easy Java/JavaScript Simulations (EJS) toolkit used in the creation of the applet.

7. Under what license is this Knight's Tour Game released?

The source code and educational materials associated with the Knight's Tour Game are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Singapore License. This encourages the free use, adaptation, and sharing of the resource, provided that appropriate credit is given and any derivative works are shared under the same license. The EasyJavaScriptSimulations Library, used to compile the game, has a separate commercial use license that requires contacting fem@um.es directly.

8. Where can I find and play this Knight's Tour Game?

The document mentions that the link to play the game can be found within the description. Specifically, the embed code points to the URL: https://iwant2study.org/lookangejss/math/ejss_model_knight_intro_no_hint/knight_intro_no_hint_Simulation.xhtml. Another version with a slightly different URL (https://iwant2study.org/lookangejss/math/ejss_model_knight_intro/) is also listed under the "Version" section.