About this PowerPoint

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About this PowerPoint

• This presentation was complied using two
  presentations that were used at the SIGCSE Tea
  Party conventions.
• The complete presentations can be downloaded
  from the Alice site.
• Obviously, a presentation with 70 slides, is a
  bit much so the focus here is on the Alice
  program, itself.

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Alice has always been free.Alice will always
continue to be free.
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The Alice System (www.alice.org)

• Easier to learn computer programming
• Drag-and-Drop editor for creating programs
• Programs are 3D movies or games
• Shown to improve learning and retention
• Highly motivating for students
• Provided for free by Carnegie Mellon
• Downloads for both Windows and Macintosh

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Alice is about focusing on what really matters
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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

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Key Alice Features

• Makes objects something students can see and
  relate to

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Three Activities in Alice
2 Editing Programs
1 Scene Layout
3 Running Programs
Caitlin Kelleher
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Over 700 free objects in the gallery
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How Alice is being used

• In pre-CS1 or programming logic
• course for majors and students considering a
  computing major
• As conceptual introduction in CS1
• Introduction to programming course
• non-majors
• attract students to become majors
• Computer literacy
• problem-solving, algorithmic thinking component
• Pre-AP in high schools

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Scattered informal programs grades 5-12
Middle schoolers Dominique and Marcus using Alice
on a Macintosh in an after-school program on
South Side of Chicago
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Critical Time Middle School

• For most girls, middle school is the last good
  time to reach them after that, they have decided
  math and science are not for them.

http//www.eric.ed.gov/resources/ericreview/vol6no
2/encourage.html
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A lot of colleges are using Alice

• How many is a lot?
• Lower bound 243 are teaching with PH texts
• There are roughly 3,000 U.S. colleges
• 8 of US colleges are teaching with Alice/PH
  books
• Many others are teaching with other or no texts
• Many High Schools are using for pre-AP or AP

• http//www.utexas.edu/world/univ/ says 3,176

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Colleges (we know of) using Alice

• McMaster University
• Modesto Junior College
• Monmouth University
• New Hampshire CTC-Laconia
• New Mexico State University-Alamogor
• Northwestern College
• Pennsylvania State University
• Red Rocks CC
• Rowan University
• Rutgers University Camden Campus
• San Diego State University
• Saint Joseph's University
• Saint Bonaventure University
• SUNY Canton
• SUNY Tompkins Cortland CC
• Temple University
• The College of New Jersey
• Tufts University

• Amarillo College
• Anne Arundel CC
• Arizona State University West
• Belmont Abbey College
• Beloit College
• BGSU at Firelands
• BYU Idaho
• California State University Sacramento
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Clark College
• Camden County College
• College of Charleston
• Columbia College
• Community College of Philadelphia
• Duke University
• Eastern Michigan University
• Fort Lewis College
• Haverford College
• Illinois State University

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Why Alice Works

• No syntax-based frustration
• Data is visible changes are animated you can
  see what is happening
• Highly motivating

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Alice is real coding

• Alice Code Java Code

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Support Help In-system Tutorials
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Instructional Materials

• www.aliceprogramming.net
• syllabi/calendars
• lectures
• labs
• assignments
• sample worlds (programs)
• sample exams
• sample projects

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Support Help Online Forum at www.alice.org