The Shape Factory

Shape Factory is an educational learning environment for primary school children (ages 7–10) that promotes algorithmic thinking, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning through an engaging factory simulation. Designed by Prof. Dr. Günter Krauthausen and Jun.-Prof. Dr. Christian Urff, the app combines educational expertise with child-friendly design. In a virtual factory, children configure machines that transform colored geometric workpieces step by step: drawing lines, punching holes, and rotating shapes. Through visual representation and immediate feedback, children directly experience how their decisions affect the outcome. FIVE GAME MODES FOR DIVERSE LEARNING • Experiment – Freely explore machines and their effects through discovery learning • Predict – Mentally predict the result of a production line, then verify • Make – Design production lines to create ordered workpieces and find different solutions • Optimize – Identify redundant machines and achieve the same result more efficiently • Repair – Analyze, diagnose, and fix faulty production lines EDUCATIONAL FEATURES • Four difficulty levels per mode with optional expert mode • Adaptive difficulty that automatically adjusts to the learner's level • Warehouse for saving, comparing, and sorting production lines • QR code exchange for sharing configurations between devices • Add notes to saved configurations • PDF export and photo saving of production lines COMPREHENSIVE TEACHER SETTINGS • Show or hide individual game modes to match the classroom situation • Control difficulty levels and adaptive adjustment • Individually configure counters, warehouse, and QR code features • Enable or disable automatic task progression • Built-in information about task formats and classroom use LEARNING GOALS The app fosters algorithmic thinking, spatial reasoning (mental rotation, orientation, symmetry), problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, optimization thinking, and systematic approaches. It is ideal for mathematics, science, and computer science education. TEACHING GUIDE A comprehensive didactic guide with lesson scenarios, research questions, differentiation tips, and methodological recommendations is available free of charge at www.urff.app/formen-fabrik. PRIVACY & SAFETY • No ads • No tracking • No in-app purchases • No internet connection required • No registration needed • All data stays on the device Shape Factory – built for children, designed for the classroom.