6. The Alice Software
• A 3D interactive animation environment
• A tool for teaching fundamental
programming concepts
– object oriented
• System developed at Carnegie Mellon
8. The Alice Approach
• Uses 3D graphics to engage students
• Has a “smart” drag-and-drop editor that prevents
syntax errors
• Appeals to wide audience
– Storytelling
• (young women, minority students)
– Interactive computer games
• (young men)
– Not threatening; Alice builds students’ confidence
9. Key Alice Features
• Makes objects something students
can see and relate to
• Has a java syntax mode to ease the
transition to C++/Java/VB.net
10. How Alice is being used
• In pre-CS1
– course for majors and students considering a CS
major
• As conceptual introduction in CS1, followed
by a transition to Java/C++/VB
• Introduction to programming course
– non-majors (in business schools, for example)
– attract students to become CS majors
• Computer literacy
– problem-solving component
• Pre-AP in high schools
11. Commonly Asked Questions
• How much does the Alice software cost?
– It is free! (and open source)
• Does Alice run on the Macintosh?
– Yes! Download Mac version from www.alice.org
• Where can I go for instructor support materials?
– www.aliceprogramming.net
• Is Alice hard to install?
– Just copy files to the hard drive; no “install”
12. Commonly Asked Questions, Cont.
• Isn’t Alice just a toy? (it looks so “Fisher-Price”!)
– No -- Alice contains all the features of “real” languages
– Students can write 3,000 line programs in Alice
• How do students go from Alice to Java?
– They have learned the concepts in Alice, then learn syntax in Java
– They have built confidence and are more persistent
• Is there any “hard evidence” that Alice works?
– Yes! An NSF study on “at risk” CS1 students who used Alice…
• Increased grades from C to B
• Retention (into CS2) went from 47% to 88%
13. References
• Wanda Dann
(wpdann@ithaca.e
du)
• Randy Pausch
(pausch@cmu.edu
• Stephen Cooper
(scooper@sju.edu
