Using Greenfoot and a Moon Scenario to Teach Java Programming in CS1

1
Using Greenfoot and a Moon Scenario to Teach
Java Programming in CS1

• Randy J. Gallant
• Dr. Qusay Mahmoud
• ACMSE 2008

2
Outline

• Problems
• Solutions
• Greenfoot
• Going to the Moon Project
• Demo
• Testing, Acceptance Development
• Project Information
• Questions

3
Problems with Learning Programming

• Learning programming is boring at first.
• Hard to keep students attention.
• Hours of endless coding before any displayable
  results.

4
Solutions

• Make the programming environment more user
  friendly and entertaining.
• Cater to the students enjoyment of electronic
  games to keep their attention.
• Use graphics to show immediate visual results of
  a working program.

5
Introducing Greenfoot

• Grid style world
• Graphics
• Movement
• Sounds
• Open source Java

6
Greenfoot Editor
7
Going to the Moon

• 10 Labs
• Used to learn the basic Java programming and
  Greenfoot skills.
• Final Capstone Project
• Used to test the acquired programming skills of
  the students.

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Topics of the10 Labs

• Lab 1 Exploring Greenfoot
• Lab 2 Working with Existing Scenarios
• Lab 3 Basic Space Travel
• Lab 4 Add and Remove Objects
• Lab 5 Grid Positioning Fuel
• Lab 6 Trip to the Moon
• Lab 7 The Return Trip back to Earth
• Lab 8 Creating Object Actors / Graphics
• Lab 9 Sounds and Advanced Graphics
• Lab 10 Keyboard Input

9
Project Demo

• Demo Lab 6
• Lab 6 Instructions
• Demo Final Capstone Project
• Correct code
• Incorrect code

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Testing, Acceptance Development

• In current discussions with faculty at Humber to
  try using this project in coming semesters.
• This project will be used by Dr. Mahmoud to teach
  Java to senior year high school students in a
  special project at the University of Guelph in
  April June 2008.
• I will be using this project to teach an
  introductory to Java programming course in
  September 2008 at Humber College.
• Going to the Moon was demonstrated at ACM
  SIGCSE conference in Portland, on Greenfoot day
  in March 2008.

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Project Information

• Website for the Going to the Moon Project
• http//cmer.cis.uoguelph.ca/gotomoon/
• Website contains
• General Contact Information
• All 10 Lab Instructions
• All 10 Unfinished Lab Scenario Codes
• Capstone Project Instructions
• Unfinished Capstone Project Scenario Code
• Finished Scenarios available for Instructors by
  request only!

12
Thank You.

• Any questions?
• http//cmer.cis.uoguelph.ca/gotomoon/
• Email randy.gallant_at_humber.ca