Using Multimedia, Animation, and Robotics to Increase the Number of Students and Teachers in Computing Barbara Ericson ICE, College of Computing Georgia Tech

What is ICE? Partnership between –Georgia Tech’s College of Computing –Georgia Department of Education Announced June 2004 by Superintendent Kathy Cox and Dean Richard DeMillo

ICE Goals Train more computing teachers –Start by training teachers for beginning and intermediate programming classes in Java –When ready train teachers for Advanced Placement (AP) Increase the number and diversity of computing students –Interesting curriculum –Help with recruiting and retaining students

Why? We are facing a huge shortage in computing! –There has been a 40% drop in CS majors since 2001 nationwide –The percentage of women has dropped from 30% to about 12% –There has never been a significant amount of African Americans, Hispanics, or Native Americans

Why the Drop in Majors? Myth #1: All computing jobs are going overseas! –Only about 1% have –There are more jobs now than in 2001 –The US Labor Department predicts that computer software engineers and computer systems designers will be among the fastest growing occupations in –Many jobs require interaction with and knowledge of computers

Why the Huge Drop in Students? Myth #2 –Only geeks do well in computing!

Who is in Computer Science? They all are!

Why the Huge Drop in Students? Myth #3 –You have to like to play computer games! Professionals in computing –Say that you should like: Problem solving Working with others in a team Being creative

Why the Huge Drop in Students? Myth #4 –The job is boring! –Introductory classes are often boring Students find the examples irrelevant, and tedious –Computer Science juniors are often surprised how creative it is Once you are past the early classes Example: Digital Video Special Effects

Digital Video Special Effects

ICE Plan Train teachers with no experience to teach a beginning programming class in Java –Teachers teach that course for a year or more Train teachers with some experience to teach an intermediate programming class in Java –Teachers teach that course for a year or more Train teachers to become AP teachers –Teach the Computer Science AP

Results to Date Summer 2004 –Beginning Programming Workshop - 30 –AP Workshop - 17 Summer 2005 –Beginning Programming Workshop - 19 –Intermediate Programming Workshop - 20 –AP Workshop – 26 Total teachers at one or more workshop - 90

Goals for Summer Workshops Teach computing in a way that is –Interesting –Relevant –Creative –Social Show how to recruit and retain students Demonstrate the breadth of computing –Research Demonstrations

Summer Workshops Beginning Programming in Java –No experience required! –Learn programming with multimedia, animation and robotics Intermediate Programming in Java –Some programming experience required! –Multimedia programming and GUI programming College Board Endorsed AP –Java experience required! –Object-oriented programming, recursion, data structures, searching, sorting, and an introduction to the Case Study

Animation Alice –3D movies and games –Free program from CMU – Scratch –2D animations and games –Free program from MIT

Alice

Advantages of Alice Create 3D movies and games –Simple way to handle events Drag-and-drop programming –No syntax errors Object-oriented programming –Good way to introduce object-oriented topics Tutorials make it easy to get started –Step by step instructions

Scratch

Advantages of Scratch Runs on older machines Drag-and-drop programming –No syntax errors 2D is easier than 3D

Robotics LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System (RIS) 2.0 –Build and program robots using drag-and- drop programming –Or Java Virtual Robots –Turtles –Karel J Robot

Multimedia Projects Teaching programming by manipulating media: pictures, sounds, text, and movies Based on a successful class at Georgia Tech for non-majors Students find it interesting, relevant, creative, and social Teachers find it fun, too!

Negate an Image

Mirroring

Sepia-Tint

Chromakey

Teacher Collages 2004

Teacher Collages 2005

ICE Events Using Robots, Turtles, and Sound to Teach Java –Feb Using Text, Games and GUIs To Teach Java –April AP Bowl Competition –April at Georgia Tech Alice Competition –May at Georgia Tech

ICE Summer Workshops Beginning Programming in Java –June and June 19-22, 2006 –No Fee –Residential required! (Georgia Tech Hotel) Intermediate Programming in Java –June and July 6-7, 2006 –No Fee College Board Endorsed AP Workshop –July th 2006 –$450 fee

ICE Resources Collaborative Website – Mailing lists Classroom visits and questions –Barbara Ericson LEGO Robot lending library – Summer camps for students –