Make-a-face

Prof Paul CurzonQueen Mary, University of London

www.teachinglondoncomputing.orgTwitter: @TeachingLDNCompTwitter: @TeachingLDNComp

With support from Google,

D of E and the Mayor of London

Created by Paul Curzon and

Steve Mesure, Quintin Cutts and Steve Brindley of the University of Glasgow

Aims• Give you deeper understanding of core topics

– Getting started programming– If-then-else and flow of control– Onject based programming– Artificial Intelligence: affective computing

• Give you practical ways to teach computing in a fun, thought provoking way – away from computers, focus on concepts

• Linked activity sheets and booklets can be downloaded from our website:

www.teachinglondoncomputing.org

Running programs physically

• A really good way to build a deep understanding of programming constructs is to act out the program

• Compile the program on to people!

• They follow the instructions

• Makes abstract ideas visible and tangible

Let’s program an emotional robot

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are needed to see this picture.

Watch the video at: www.cs4fn.org/alife/robot/blade.php

Let’s not bother with Lego…

Building a robot• We can build a robot out of people.• One person controls each eyebrow• One person controls each eye• One person controls each side of the

mouth

• But it needs a program if it is to do anything!

Programming a robot• We can program each part of the face

separately• Each eye, eyebrow and side of the

mouth has its own program• They are treated as separate objects

with their own programmed behaviour• That is the essence of object based

programming

Example:Programming an eyebrow

If NICE SOUND

then DOWN

If NASTY SOUND

then DOWN

If SUDDEN SOUND

then UP

Executing a robot’s program• The program tells each object how to behave

when different sounds are played.– HAPPY SOUND (sing Happy Birthday)– NASTY SOUND (make gruesome sounds)– SUDDEN SOUND (shout BOO!)

• The rest of the class can make the sounds.

• The robot’s eyes etc then just do what their program says to do.

Summary

• Students can act out the code• and write new code• Then act it out

Programming can be introduced in fun ways away from a computer

More support

On our website to support this session:• Activity sheets • Story sheets• SlidesDetails of more worskshops/courses• free unplugged sessions• subsidised courses (e.g. GCSE programming)

www.teachinglondoncomputing.orgTwitter: @TeachingLDNCompTwitter: @TeachingLDNComp

Thank you!

Together we areTeaching London Computing

www.teachinglondoncomputing.orgTwitter: @TeachingLDNCompTwitter: @TeachingLDNComp