Recommender Systems
Recommender systems have become so common that we barely notice them. In music apps and video platforms, they suggest songs and videos we might like; in online stores, they offer products we’re likely to buy; on trip-planning websites, they recommend new routes similar to those we’ve walked, run, or cycled before; and on social media, they supposedly help us discover new friends.
Recommender systems influence our decisions, so it’s important to understand how they work, and so on. At the same time, their inner workings are simple enough to explain to fourth graders. Not only can we explain them, but we can also easily (and without a computer) demonstrate them.
Ideas for lessons
Cartoon Recommendations
An example of a simple recommendation systemmathematics
