After Seven Years of JICC, What Have We Learnt?'

Peter Chalk - London Metropolitan University

and Dr Fintan Culwin - South Bank University

3rd LTSN-ICS One Day Conference on the Teaching of Programming

University of Huddersfield, 11th April 2003

Java [& the Internet] in theComputing Curriculum Conferences 1-7Abstract (1)

Java, like all languages, has its devotees and detractors, which is a healthy sign. In 1997 the Java In the Computing Curriculum (JICC) Conference series started at South Bank University to encourage this debate. We even had a subsidiary 'debate' with presentations from Sun, Microsoft and IBM (what fun). Two years ago, runner Fintan passed the baton on to Pete who moved to North London, now London Met. We changed the name to Java and the Internet in the Computing Curriculum.

Abstract (2)

Topics covered expanded to databases and distributed computing and last year, C# made its entrance. JICC's strength has been its in-depth coverage of technical aspects of the language and their implications for education, the on-going discussion about objects/graphics [GUI?] first and a solid foundation in pedagogy. In this contribution to the workshop, key elements of this history, with pointers for the future, will be presented for discussion.

Summary

The early years – why Java? Objects First? GUI when? Ubiquity Pedagogical problems New internet technologies Conclusions?

The early years – why Java

Report from the 4th All Ireland Conference (1996) by Fintan Culwin (JICC1), none using, 5/25 ‘favour’ Java

‘Teaching Java at Lancaster’ Roger Garside (JICC1) – first (?) 96/97 – Java ‘elegant, well designed, non-complex OO, C-like but done right, strong typing, motivating (www) & unifying (level 2/3)’

Objects First?

‘Java, the good, the bad and the ugly’ Peter Martin (JICC2) – safe OO, no generics, C style

‘Oh, by the way, Java is object oriented’ (Phil McLaughlin, JICC1, 1997) – ‘disastrous to teach structured methods using an OO language’

‘OOAD in the Java Curriculum Pam Wain (JICC4) – UML approach

‘Unifying the teaching of programming & modelling’ Adrian Jackson (JICC5) – Together & Rational Rose

GUI when?

‘Interfacing with the AWT’, Tim Balls (JICC1, 1997) – software engineering the user interface – threads, interface, event model

JFC Tutorial (Fintan Culwin JICC3) – ISO usability - Lynn Andrea Stein [OOPSLA ’97 ] ‘software development as currently practiced involves client/server, multi-threaded artefacts that have a graphical user interface and are constructed using object oriented techniques’

Ubiquity

‘Using CORBA & JDBC to produce 3 tier systems’ Barry Cornelius (JICC2, 1998) – live applet to ORB to Database demo

‘Using Java to teach internet technologies & eCommerce’ Robert Stroud (JICC4, 2000) – ‘I couldn’t have taught it using C++’

Pedagogical problems

‘Teaching & learning in large classes’ Frank Martin (JICC2) – successful migration, motivation

Learning objects demo & integration (JICC7) Design Studio – don’t neglect the social process

(Alan O’Callaghan, JICC6) Tutorials – CourseMaster (Eric Foxley JICC4),

eCommerce (David Parsons JICC3), Patterns (Phil McCaughlin JICC2)

New internet technologies

JavaScript, XML (JICC5, 2001) .NET Tutorial (Barry Cornelius JICC6) –

‘Microsoft have hit back’ C# & Web Services (JICC7) Jython & XP (David Dench, JICC7) using

Python for unit testing

Conclusions?

Java includes basics (OO, syntax, GUI, thread), is extensible (JDBC, CORBA, APIs) & interoperable (web services, Python)

Successful examples of migration IDE? BlueJ, JCreator, JBuilder favourites

(LTSN-ICS JISCMAIL discussion 4/2/03) See more at LTSN-ICS Resources>

Programming> Java

Further JICC

JICC 8 will be held at London Metropolitan University on Monday 26th January 2004

10am to 4.30pm – Paper Deadline 6/10/03 http://homepages.unl.ac.uk/~chalkp/jicc/index.html http://homepages.unl.ac.uk/~chalkp/jicc/proc.html -

Previous Proceedings http://www.ics.ltsn.ac.uk/resources/programming/java.html – LTSN-

ICS Java Resources http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ltsn-ics-java.html - eForum