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Games or Robots? Restoring Excitement to Introductory Computing

Games or Robots? Restoring Excitement to Introductory Computing. Michael D. Dumont Ian C. Tewksbury Jessica D. Bayliss Rajendra K. Raj. Goals. Develop an effective way to interest students. Use existing knowledge to teach new concepts Encourage students to want to learn.

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Games or Robots? Restoring Excitement to Introductory Computing

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  1. Games or Robots? Restoring Excitement to Introductory Computing Michael D. Dumont Ian C. Tewksbury Jessica D. Bayliss Rajendra K. Raj

  2. Goals • Develop an effective way to interest students. • Use existing knowledge to teach new concepts • Encourage students to want to learn

  3. Reality and Programming Together (RAPT) • Replacement sequence for Comp. Sci. 1-3 • Used video games as an application domain • Accelerated Sequence • College Freshmen

  4. NOVA Robotics Program • Lego NXT Robotics Platform • 8 day workshop series • Self Teaching • 6th-12th Grade

  5. Golf-Bot

  6. Hokey Pokey Bot

  7. Advantages of RAPT • Low Cost • Abstract Concepts • High degree of creativity

  8. Disadvantages of RAPT • Faster paced, more challenging • Not self paced • Works good if the interest is there

  9. Advantages of NOVA • Self Paced • NXT-G is simple • Easy to teach algorithms • Tactile

  10. Disadvantages of NOVA • Cost increases per student • Less creative • Abstract concepts are more difficult to teach

  11. Future Work • Run more NOVA Programs (Games and Robots) • Attempt to bridge the gap • Use robots for older students

  12. Acknowledgements • Rajendra K. Raj, Ian C. Tewksbury, and Jessica D. Bayliss for working on these projects • The students in the RAPT and NOVA programs.

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