POOPLES

1
POOPLES Pre-Object Oriented Programming Learning
Environments Fintan Culwin, Kemi Adeboye Phil
Campbell Centre for Interactive Systems
Engineering (CISE)London South Bank
UniversityLondon SE1 0AA fintan_at_lsbu.ac.uk ht
tp//cise.lsbu.ac.uk/pooples
2
The only way to learn software development is to
develop software! . . . BUT . . .
3
existing pre-programming learning objects did not
do this! programming RLOs, in general, encourage
passive viewing of animations and over-simplistic
pre-prescribed tasks.
4
existing pre-programming learning environments
have huge granularity! Karel - the OO
robot. Jeroo - OO rabbit grass type
environment Alice large scale Smalltalk based
world ToonTalk large scale programming by
metaphor Logo not OO
5
pre-programming as a concept has disappeared!!
A literature search yielded very little work on
pre-programming as a topic and none particular to
OO.
6
Pre-programming is the process of identifying the
intellectual and practical pre-requisites for
starting to learn programming and devising
activities to ensure that they are present in
students. (Culwin 2006) Is the absence of
pre-programming from HE curricula a partial
explanation of why so many students fail to
develop any effective software development skills?
7
POOPLEs Design Guidelines active engagement with
programming! interpretive not compile/execute. the
keyboard is a barrier (programming by pushing
buttons). small, focussed and engaging (game
like). Java syntax. versions for
exposition learning
assessment
8
The PoopRat
Guide the rat to the cheese before it starves -
simple.
9
The PoopSub
Navigate the sub through the baffles before it
runs out of air more challenging.
10
The PoopMedic
Get the ambulance top the patient before they
expire - challenging.
11
POOPLES architecture

death or completion
controller
obtains scripts from
proxy poople
sends scripts to
interned in
controls
user interface
controls
iava interpreter
poople
12
Evaluation Was used in the 2004/5 session by ()5
institutions, from FE tasters to conversion
postgrad. Questionnaire analysis of 32 FE
tasters indicated that totally naïve students
enjoyed the experience, only a minority (2) of
experienced programmers did not enjoy it. No
preference between the rat and the sub (medic not
available). Observationally students were
driving rather than programming. BUT, were
very engaged, working independently and task
focussed. BUT, more engaging to boys than girls.
13
Status Issues
The POOPLEs are freely available at
http//cise.lsbu.ac.uk/pooples/pooples on the
hea/ics website ( on JORUM ??) (including the
source code student facing instructions).
They are believed to be stable and already have
had significant usage by a number of
institutions. Ideas for female friendly POOPLES
(shopping? social event??) are needed? More
complex rat mazes and medic road obstructions
would give five possible environments. An
undo capability is definitely needed ( ). A
more permanent record of the code is needed. A
player v. computer then player v. player game
(basketball, hockey) has been conceptually
designed.