CSTA2015 Blocks-based Programming: Toolboxes for Many Occasions

CSTA2015 Blocks-based Programming: Toolboxes for Many Occasions
Blocks-based Programming: Toolboxes for Many Occasions Josh Sheldon & Paul Medlock-Walton @MITStepLab, @GameBloxDev, @MITAppInventor, @joshsheldon
Today’s Roadmap • Introduction • StarLogo Nova • TaleBlazer • GameBlox • MIT App Inventor • Wrap & Questions
ONE EARLY ANCESTOR, MANY NICHES TODAY —  From BLOX (Glinert, 1986) —  To Today, July 2015 —  Scratch —  Alice —  Greenfoot —  Pencil Code —  App Lab —  App Inventor, TaleBlazer, StarLogo Nova, GameBlox —  and, many more… "Simplified tree" by Madprime - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Simplified_tree.png#/media/File:Simplified_tree.png
HOW WE WILL EXPLORE EACH EXAMPLE —  Overview —  Niche(s) —  Demonstration: Use, Modify, Create (Leave creating to you) —  Notable CS Affordances —  Resources Lee et al., (2011). Computational Thinking for Youth in Practice. ACM Inroads.
StarLogo Nova: Overview —  Notable Features —  Agent Based Scripting —  3-D World —  Investigation of Scientific Models —  History —  Descendant of Logo, StarLogo versions —  Went “live” circa 2014
StarLogo Nova: Niches —  Agent-based modeling —  Multiple breeds —  Each breed can have scripts —  Each individual of a breed runs scripts independently —  3-D Game creation —  EASY —  Motivating —  For everyone?
StarLogo Nova: Demo -‐ EPIDEMIC!!!
StarLogo Nova: Notable CS Aﬀordances —  Some Object Oriented Principles —  Parallel execution —  Abstraction (procedures) —  Event driven programming
StarLogo Nova: Resources —  IPWIT: ~15 Hours of Instruction —  Resources: —  http://www.slnova.org/resources/ipwit-2014/ —  http://www.slnova.org/resources/skill-cards/ —  PD: https://ipwit2015.eventbrite.com (PD: 1-day intro) —  Project GUTS —  Resources: http://www.projectguts.org/ —  PD: https://goo.gl/mHcGvO —  Imagination Toolbox —  PD: https://it2015.eventbrite.com (One-week, in-depth)
CSTA 2015 TaleBlazer: Engaging Youth in Computa/onal Thinking, Crea/ve Design & Community through Authoring Loca/on-‐Based Augmented Reality Games
How do we cra* powerful experiences in real places? How do these experiences foster deep learning? How do you author these types of games? Photo: PolarBearsInterna/onal.org Photo: Red BuGe Botanical Garden
One approach loca:on-‐based educa:on…augmented reality (AR) “Loca/on-‐aware digital overlay of informa/on in a real-‐world context” Learning/ Content Games/ Sims Real World Context Typically played on smart phone or other mobile computer (GPS) in large-‐scale real world loca:on
TaleBlazer’s Two Goals PLAY GAMES •  Games are played by visitors/users/students •  Goals are to learn content, explore a physical space, foster collabora:on –  E.g., Field trip to Zoo, visitors to living history museum MAKE GAMES •  Users design and implement AR games •  Learn design process, coding, content –  Currently in several a*er-‐school/summer programs
Two examples: Youth Making Games •  iCSI – STEM themed •  Haunts – local history
iCSI Informal Community Science Inves:gators 3-‐year NSF funded partnership between: Missouri Botanical Garden; MIT; Columbus Zoo (OH), San Diego Zoo, Red Bu_e Botanical Gardens (UT) 1.  Engage informal visitors playing AR games 2.  Tweens/teens making AR games (summer camps) –  Leverage AR games to promote STEM knowledge/ engagement (including technology design/authoring), showcase research, foster community engagement (ci:zen science), develop 21st cent. skills. >> Successful camps, looking to extend model.<< Funded by NSF ISE Grant # 1223407
The Paths of the Forgo_en: Ghosts of Drake Park
Haunts: Urban Youth Making Local Games
Demonstration
Successes & Challenges •  High engagement •  Youth ownership •  Non-‐tradi:onal CS on-‐ ramp •  Collabora:ve •  Engages community •  Interdisciplinary –  Lots of try •  New genre •  Non-‐trivial on-‐ramp •  Mobile tech not 100% ubiquitous •  Outdoors (indoor coming soon!) •  Interdisciplinary –  Lots of juggle
Thanks! Judy Perry, MIT STEP Lab <jperry@mit.edu> h_p://TaleBlazer.org h_p://educa:on.mit.edu •  Many thanks to Eric Klopfer (Director, MIT STEP Lab), Lisa Stump & the TaleBlazer development team (MIT), Josh Sheldon (MIT/STEP); Renata Pomponi & Drew Buckley (Mass Audubon); Rhys Simmons and his team (OSV); Columbus Zoo & Aquarium •  Funded in part by NSF Grants # 0833663, #1223407; and the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.
A block language for designing games https://gameblox.org Paul Medl0ck-Walton paulmw@mit.edu
edX courses
Features for making games •  Physics engine ▫  Gravity, velocity, collision detection •  Program behavior for classes •  Count up and down timers •  Multiple stages •  Camera view
Demo
CS Affordances •  Components used as variables •  Type checking •  Typed and multi-dimensional lists •  Dynamic creation of components •  Data tables •  Threading •  Event driven
Resources •  Tutorials with videos and pictures
Resources •  Tutorials with videos and pictures
A block language for designing games https://gameblox.org Paul Medl0ck-Walton paulmw@mit.edu
MIT App Inventor: Overview —  Notable Features —  Create native Android Apps —  Use device affordances —  Share with others —  Gallery – Remix (NEW) —  History —  V1 (Classic) Started at Google in 2008-2009 —  Moved to MIT in 2011-12 —  V2 went live Dec. 2013
MIT App Inventor: Niches —  Mobile App Creation —  For the real devices of 21st Century —  Take advantage of device affordances —  Each individual of a breed runs scripts independently —  Authentic System Deployment —  Can query against online APIs and Fusion tables —  Motivating —  For everyone
MIT App Inventor: Demo -‐ My Baby (really)
MIT App Inventor: Notable CS Aﬀordances —  Event driven Programming —  High level abstracted components —  Components have features of OOP
MIT App Inventor: Resources —  AppInventor.org —  http://appinventor.org/ —  Educators Community (Contribute your resources) —  http://educators.appinventor.mit.edu/ —  Resource Sheet —  PD: —  EdX - Mobile Computing with App Inventor – CS Principles (Oct ‘15) —  Mobile CSP - http://mobile-csp.org/participate
VL/HCC 2015 workshop in Atlanta, GA on Thu., Oct. 22, 2015 Blocks and Beyond: Lessons and DirecQons for First Programming Environments h_p://cs.wellesley.edu/~blocks-‐and-‐beyond/ Submission Deadline: July 24!!! Blocks and Beyond Workshop
Blocks-based Programming: Toolboxes for Many Occasions Josh Sheldon & Paul Medlock-Walton @MITStepLab, @GameBloxDev, @MITAppInventor, @joshsheldon

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