Phogo: A low cost, engaging and modern proposal to learn how to program Carlos Gonzalez-Sacristan, Carlos Garcia-Saura, Pablo Molins-Ruano Universidad Autonoma de Madridpablo.molins@uam.es

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Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain

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Learn to program? Why bother?

Phogo: Logo + Python“Good artists copy, great artists steal”Pablo Picasso

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Why Logo is great• Logo is a great tool that provides large construction possibilities to the

student • “Low threshold and no ceiling”• Papert believed that students learn while consciously engaged in

constructing a public entity • When something doesn't come out as expected, the Turtle is the one

making mistakes, not the student

New possibilitiesSome things have change since the 70’s

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What we have now• Cheap and accessible electronics• Arduino • Python• Domestic 3D printers

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Why change from Logo to Python?• Logo lacks of a thriving community. Python's vast community of users

has advantages.• Python has more real world applications and we believe this can have

an impact on the students' engagement.

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Why change from Logo to Python?• Logo lacks of a thriving community. Python's vast community of users

has advantages.• Python has more real world applications and we believe this can have

an impact on the students' engagement.• With Python, nothing is lost. It’s still possible to have a modular,

extensible, interactive and flexible language, the main principles in Logo design. • “Low threshold and no ceiling”. With Python, the ceiling is even

higher.

The TortoiseLogo got the Turtle. We got a Tortoise.

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Phogo’s Tortoise(early prototype)

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$81New version: $30

Stay tuned.

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https://github.com/CRM-UAM/PhogoAll of the Phogo source code is released under the GNU General Public License Version 3.The rest of elements such as text, images or manuals are published under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license terms.

The libraryLogo was based on Lisp. We use Python.

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What can the Tortoise do?• forward(units=10)• back(units=10)• right(degrees=90)• left(degrees=90)• pen_up()• pen_down()• obstacle()

+ all Python

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Some examples• Draw a squarefrom phogo import * def square():

pen_down()i = 1while (i < 5):

right()forward()i = i + 1

• Maze solverfrom phogo import * def right-hand_rule():

if (obstacle() < 10):left()

forward()right-hand_rule()

Let’s try it!

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Objectives1. Understand that a computer executes the orders previously given

by a programmer. 2. Basic use of variables and pre-defined functions. 3. Understand flow control structures: • Conditional jumps • Deterministic loops

4. Grouping and reusing code by defining functions. 5. Realize that these notions are the backbone of every complex

software out there.

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Setting• June 2016• 19 students from 16 to 18 years old• 12 of them with diverse physical or intellectual disabilities• No one reported any previous programing knowledge• Four programing teachers and some assistants (for example, sign

language interpreter)• 90 minutes• 7 robots. They were encouraged to work in pairs or groups

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From this…from phogo import * pen_down() forward() right() forward() right() forward() right() forward() right()

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…to thisfrom phogo import * pen_down() forward() right() forward() right() forward() right() forward() right()

from phogo import * def cuadrado():

pen_down() veces=1 while veces <=4:

forward(6) right() veces = veces + 1

def circulo(): pen_down() veces=1 while veces <= 18: forward(1) right(20) veces=veces+1

circulo()

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Now, what? Future work• New Tortoise. Version 2.• Cheaper (from $80 to $30)• Better movement (more precise)• Bye Bluetooth. Hello WiFi.• More possibilities (speakers, microphone, light sensor…)

• More workshops• More data

Phogo: A low cost, engaging and modern proposal to learn how to program Carlos Gonzalez-Sacristan, Carlos Garcia-Saura, Pablo Molins-Ruano Universidad Autonoma de Madrid

pablo.molins@uam.es – https://github.com/CRM-UAM/Phogo33