App InventingA Presentation for Teachers
About Me
Studied Computer Science Completed MA in ICT in Education Taught abroad and in the UK Currently Head of ICT, Computing &
Business Studies at a grammar school, Wiltshire
Why Apps?
There are approximately 350,000 apps in iTunes, 65,000 in the Android marketplace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjUcq_E4I-s
Why Apps in Schools?
The UK's video games sector is bigger than both the film and music industries with over £2bn in global sales.
With games becoming increasingly complicated to make, the programmers used to make the games are in high demand.
There are concerns about where the talent of the future is going to come from.
"The narrowness of how we teach children about computers risks creating a generation of digital
illiterates.“
Ian Livingstone, life president of Eidos and government skills champion
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9503255.stm
Why should students be interested?
Rate of apps being made available each day is growing rapidly.
Potential to generate revenue
Expand to tablets, TV
and beyond!
But mostly…
Curriculum Links
Can replace Flowol and LOGO “Sequencing Information”
Level 5
They create sequences of instructions and understand the need to be precise when framing and sequencing instructions.
Level 6
They develop, try out and refine sequences of instructions and show efficiency in framing these instructions, using sub-routines where appropriate.
Level 7
They develop, test and refine sequences of instructions as part of an ICT system to solve problems. They design ICT-based models and procedures with variables to meet particular needs.
Level 8
They design and implement systems for others to use.
Creators not Consumers
“The goal is to enable people to become creators, not just consumers, in this mobile world”Harold Abelson (MIT), Google App Inventor
Projecthttps://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/technology/12google.html?_r=1
Development Environments
No Programming
Drag & Drop (Visual) Programming
Language Specific Coded Programming
No Programming Required?
BUT need to be over 13 to register!
• You can create a fully functioning App that can be shared with the world, or just your users…
• You can send push notifications to users You can create Forms
• Menu based interface• Basic interactions• Easy to use – no programming required• FREE!!
• Similar to appsbar, but a cost involved!
• More complicated/corporate feel• Just for iPhones
Drag & Drop Programming
App Inventor shares many similarities with ScratchScratch Freely available for Windows, Linux or Mac, Scratch
provides an approachable way to build interactive games and works of art.
The language is similar to Basic… only instead of typing out the “code”, you place bits of the code in place via dragging-and-dropping with the mouse.
The resulting applications are not “stand alone executables”
App Inventor Allows people with very little programming
experience to build their own applications for their Android phone.
The language and user interface itself is actually based on Scratch (with a much more “grown up” look and feel).
App Inventor also contains an excellent User Interface Layout tool to design the look and feel of your Android app.
Crayons for the Web
“When I first heard about Scratch, I hated it...I didn't like the idea of teaching kids how to program. But this isn't a programming language. It's an environment where people can become creators of content for the internet. It's like crayons for the web.”
Seth Raphael, MIT http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/12/google_app_inventor_for_android
/
Coded Programming Environments
Xcode (Mac SDK) Mac Only Only possible to code in Objective CDragonFire SDK Windows based Code in C/C++
Both complicated (this video illustrates this well http://www.dragonfiresdk.com/video/index.htm)
Structure of App Inventor
Don’t need to attach your mobile phone – can use the Android Emulator to test your apps.
Installation Instructions
Simple really……(??!!) 5 mins to….▪ Ensure Java installed on computer
10 mins to….▪ Download setup software to your PC (87MB)
Up to 30 mins to…..▪ Obtain and install driver for phone – this is a bit
trickier….and not necessary if you want to use the Android emulator
Simple to install onto RM network at school
Instructions are all online http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/learn/setup/index.html
Issues Identified
Installation Need a package to install .exe on
each machine Students need Google accountsRunning Interface can be awkward and
unintuitive Emulator can be slow to load, and for
apps to run
App Inventor Interface
You can drag and drop the
items from here onto
the screen.
This is the design screen.
Any components you add on the screen are listed
here.
The properties of each
component can be set or
changed here.
The Blocks Editor
Once the interface is designed, you can add the code by opening the blocks editor. This is a Java pop-up window.
The building blocks are similar to those in Scratch.
Built In Functions
The built in blocks are in the categories shown.
The components that you place on the screen design can all be manipulated from the “My Blocks” list.
App Inventor in Action
Source:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ADwPLSFeY8&feature=player_embedded
The Emulator
Behaves like an Android phone.
Can fully navigate the interface.
Tutorials
Good quality tutorials are available on the App Developer website: http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/learn/tutorials/index.html
Basic Advanced
PicCallThis application lets you select people from your contact list and display their pictures. When you press a picture picture, the phone calls that person.PaintPotPaintPot lets you scribble in different colors by touching the screen to draw dots and lines.MoleMashVersion of Arcade game Whack-A-Mole
Quiz MeText GroupMakeQuiz and TakeQuizMap TourText Group Part 2Broadcaster HubNo Text While DrivingNo Text While Driving Part 2Android, Where’s My Car?
Code for MoleMash
Development time:1 hour
Difficulty:Simple if you understand variables, assignments and objects.
Pro’s and Con’s(through the eyes of very discerning A-Level Computing Students)
Pros Cons• Real-time compiling• Live feed to android devices• Emulator if no android
device available• Intuitive controls• Free• Cross-platform
• Uploading files requires a web page refresh
• Emulator was unreliable and slow at times
• Moving the “blocks” was slow and sluggish
• Incomplete interface feel• Collision detections was
unreliable and the code was difficult to implement
• Accelerometer was complex and didn’t work as desired
OVERALL:“Good but needs work. Definitely a beta. But do enjoy the visual element of programming using it. Great for learning to program.”
My Plans for Android
Initially a 6 week scheme of work in summer term (target audience Year 10) Students design mobile phone app Students set price of app and identify
target market (enterprise) Students start to develop basic
functionality Will lead to App development club for
those who wish to develop their skills further
Prizes awarded to best ideas
Existing Teaching ModelBy sharing and discussing their experiences, and those of the people they know, the teams identify a whole range of areas where every-day, real-life problems occur for further exploration. Students
investigate the various
opportunities by discussing
with their peers, and looking at
similar products in
app stores. By the end of this stage students will have much
clearer, more defined
knowledge of who and
where (physically) their users
are.
Students learn about how best to plan and organise the development of their application, considering for marketing and distribution.
Once solution design is complete, students focus on perfecting their product design, testing and improving the feature sets and user interactions in dialogue with potential users. This is done through paper wireframes as well as interactive tools to allow for click through animations.
Using Google App Inventor students will work to create the first prototype app to be deployed onto Android Market. They will then work to test and refine their design and get real-life testing feedback from the public.
My Project Model
Problem DefinitionFeasibility
Study
Planning
DesignPrototype
Promote
BuildFollowing this model, if working independently
students are able to achieve level 7/8
“Pupils independently select appropriate information sources and
ICT tools for specific tasks, taking into account ease of use and suitability.
They design and implement systems for others to use. “
Scheme of Work
6 weeks (approx 10 hours)
Week Outline
1 Overview of app development, development lifecycle
2 Market research and detailed planning
3 Design
4 Prototype
5 Promote
6 Present
Examples of Student Work
Squish! DinoDash Keen2Clean Teaching Tots Ducky Day Care
What next?
Students who want to develop full app to join App Developer club
1 hour a week Supported by 6th form computing
students
Launch primary outreach programme for app design in Scratch
(later Mobile Scratch project http://llk.media.mit.edu/projects.php?id=1974 )
Get in touch
http://creativityincomputing.wordpress.com
All material from the presentation today can be found at this site from the end of today
Top Related