1. Copyright 2002, Tony Gauvin, UMFK
Powerful Ideas
Constructivist Educational Techniques in Computer Programming Instruction Using MswLOGO©
Copyright 2002, Tony Gauvin, UMFK

2. Introduction Tony Gauvin, Instructor of Computer Applications, UMFK
Developed an Interest in MswLOGO as a tool for exploration of advanced Computer Science Topics while a Graduate Student at UM
Based on Draft copy of Discrete Logo written by Dr. George Markowsky, Chair, Computer Science Department, UM

3. What Is LOGO
Logo is both an educational Philosophy and a programming language based on Constructivism
Constructivism views knowledge as being created by learners in their own minds through interaction with other people and the world around them.
This theory is most closely associated with Jean Piaget, the Swiss psychologist, who spent decades studying and documenting the learning processes of young children.

4. A Brief History of LOGO
Seymour Papert and Marvin Minsky co-founded MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab in mid ’60s
Papert and others developed the LOGO programming language in 1967
In 1980 Papert published Mindstorms

5. LOGO Basics Turtle(s) moving in a world controlled by the user
Turtle(s) act on and react to the World controlled by the User
The only data structure is a list (LISP heritage)
Commands are simple and intuitive
“low threshold and NO ceiling”

6. LOGO Today StarLogo UCBLogo Massively Parallel
Developed by Mitchel Resnick at MIT
Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds
UCBLogo
Unix, msDos, Mac
Brian Harvey at UC at Berkeley
Computer Science Logo Style

7. LOGO Today MSWLogo Windows (GUI) version of UcbLOGO
George Mills at Softronics, INC
Has all the power of any windows programming Language
Great tool for exploring Advanced Computer Topics

8. Today’s Topic Teaching programming concepts using MswLogo Two goals
Using Iterative Constructs in Geometric Constructions
Using recursion In Geomotric Constructions
Methods of Instruction
The audience experience is Totally Hands On
Using Constructivism Educational Philosophy

9. MSWLogo Primer

10. Turtle commands

11. Draw a square

12. Create the program for Drawing a square

13. Drawing a fern

14. Create the program for Drawing a Fern

15. A Way Cool Fractal Fern