Exploring Satisfiability -- Bringing Theoretical Informatics to Schools

The field of computer science comprises a broad range of different areas and topics. While some areas and topics are very present in computer science education, others rarely find their way into classrooms. One of these less common topics in education is satisfiability, despite its importance and interesting real world applications. These real world connections might act as a gateway to theoretical informatics, thus bringing more theoretical and mathematical aspects of computer science to the classroom.
In order to teach satisfiability, we have created a browser-based serious game and a collection of complementary unplugged materials. In a playful manner, students explore the DPLL-algorithm to solve simple satisfiability problems using the WebApp. Afterwards they consolidate their newly acquired knowledge with the unplugged material. Both components encourage students to explore and interact with the provided teaching material hands-on.
A study involving 24 tenth-grade students and seven experts from (computer) science and education indicates that this approach is very promising.