Learning To Program with Alice (2nd Edition) |  | Authors: Wanda P. Dann, Stephen Cooper, Randy Pausch
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $75.00
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Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 6875
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 8 x 0.9
ISBN: 013208516X
Dewey Decimal Number: 005.117
EAN: 9780132085168
ASIN: 013208516X
Publication Date: July 20, 2008
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Product Description
Learning to Program with Alice, 2e, is appropriate for all one-semester pre-CS1 and computer literacy courses, and for integration into the first weeks of many introductory CS1 courses. Alice was designed to make programming concepts easier to teach and learn. In the Second Edition of Learning to Program with Alice, Alice’s creators offer a complete full-color introduction to the interactive Alice 2.2 programming environment. The authors make extensive use of program visualization to establish an easy, intuitive relationship between program constructs and the 3D graphics animation action in Alice. Students discover how Alice blends traditional problem-solving techniques with Hollywood-style storyboarding. Fundamental object-oriented programming concepts and language syntax are taught independently. Programming concepts can be taught from either an objects-first or an objects-early approach, with an optional early introduction to events. The book’s Java-like syntax allows students to view their program code, simplifying their transitions to Java, C++, C#, or other object-oriented languages. This new edition even allows students to upload their animated programs onto YouTube and share their work on the Web.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
 lovely innovation in teaching programming October 19, 2005
W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3)
27 out of 30 found this review helpful
In a way, this is a tricky book for me to review. I learnt programming with Fortran on punch cards [remember them?]. Then later gravitated to other languages like Pascal, C and Java. But it was only in the 90s that languages started coming out with graphics built in. Prior to that, it was mostly text and binary Input/Output. That was our User Interface, shocking as it might seen to some of you. So there were always abstractions in learning a language, from the very start.
The authors of this book are spot on in saying that there has been little or no change in the teaching of programming to beginners, in the last 30 years. The languages being taught may have changed. Some are now object oriented, and have graphics libraries. But the basic pedagogy has remained constant all this time. So for example the classic "Pascal: User Manual and Report" from 1980 and a current book on Java have this in common.
The innovation offered by Alice is a stark contrast indeed. Alice lets you learn [or teach] a special programming language that manipulates objects in a three dimensional world. The emphasis is on the object-oriented nature of Alice. While other languages use the metaphor of OO mapping to and from real world objects, Alice gives a literal visual mapping that students can readily comprehend. Alice removes the middleman metaphor.
Interestingly, the authors suggest that Alice shifts some of the mental effort from the student's cognition to her perceptual [visual] system. Her visual incoming bandwidth is so large that visual changes can be readily understood.
The authors cite studies that show a faster uptake by students using Alice, compared to students without Alice. And more girls seem to go further with their programming. One could wonder if this ties into other studies suggesting that boys have [slightly] better abstract spatial understanding. By reducing this need, does Alice make programming more accessible to girls?
Alice has several niceties that aid in its usage. Especially useful is the lack of syntax issues. The essentially menu or icon driven implementation means that a student does not have to type in syntax. Hence avoiding a common source of errors. For students with a limited attention span, this removes a big source of frustration.
To be sure, Alice is just meant as a teaching language. Students are expected to graduate onto more realistic languages. But Alice can help those delicate cases of newcomers to programming retain some knowledge, and possibly even take more advanced courses. Here, the authors point out that an important special usage is for a course aimed at students who will not be programmers. That will be their first and only programming course. The teaching of such a course is important, and Alice might help.
If this book is well received, then a companion book would be helpful. The current book is meant for an instructor, though some students could certainly use it. What is needed is a simpler book, aimed perhaps at the primary school level, for the student reader. Maybe Dann et al are already working on that?
Used it as textbook. Excellent! July 20, 2007
Michael M. Kadri (New York, NY USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
"One of Alice's real strengths is that it has been able to make abstract concepts concrete in the eyes of first- time programmers. " - Forward to the book.
I used this book as a textbook in a one-semester introduction to programming course in my high school. I intend to use it again next year. Here is why:
Each chapter begins with a motivational overview of the chapter's topic and end with exercises and projects. Storyboards are used to provide an algorithmic step-by-step description of the example animation. Screenshots of code and visual setting allowed students to recreate and closely follow the covered topic.
Student had their copies of the book open next to their workstations. Throughout the course, they were focused, on task and having fun. This made my experience teaching the course very rewarding. Answers to end of chapter exercises, projects and instructional support material are available to instructors on [..]
With no hesitation I give it 5 stars.
M. Kadri (High School Teacher, New York, NY USA)
Should be required reading for every person teaching computer science August 16, 2008
Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States(cashbacher@yahoo.com))
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Since I first saw Alice demonstrated at a small college computer conference, I have remained convinced how innovative it is. Using the pre-existing objects a novice needs only a bit of direction in order to create functioning programs that generate animation. When I obtained a copy of this book I immediately started reading it and working through the programs. The Alice environment is very easy to use, there were very few times when I had to ponder my next move or consult the help.
I am also convinced that Alice is the way in which young people; especially females can be lured into computer science. There is the misperception that computer science is only for math nerds, yet a large number of people use their computer expertise to generate artificial worlds (movies) like those created in Alice.
The Alice development environment is free and is on the CD included with the book. If you want to see the future of computer science and what will lure the next generation into a career in computers, then get this book and experience of power of Alice. It will truly take you to the world of wonderland.
Easy and fun =) May 6, 2009
P. Tanakij
I really like this book. It's easy to understand with explanation and colorful pictures. Programming is FUN =)
Awesome July 6, 2010
hotpotato79*
The book arrived days before it was suppose to and the book itself is really easy to understand!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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