Media Computation Teachers Website

Media Computation (nicknamed "MediaComp") is a contextualized approach to introducing computing using a ubiquitous theme of manipulating media. The critical characteristic of MediaComp is that students create expressive media by manipulating computational materials (like arrays and linked lists) at a lower-level of abstraction. Students manipulate images by changing pixels, create sounds by iterating over samples, render linked lists into music, and create artifacts like collages, music, and digital video special effects. In so doing, the students learn computation. Examples of CS1 activities and CS2 activities are available.

The source code, power point slides, and our media (pictures, movies, sounds) are licensed under the Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Book Resources
Quick Navigation: (Click on the book of interest for download links.)

Java CS1,
Python CS1,
Alice & Media Computation,
Java Data Structures,
Others' Books

General Information for Teachers and Researchers: List of Schools Using Media Computation (not up-to-date, but gives you a flavor of schools like yours trying it), Research Reports, Mailing list, Talks on Media Computation, Project Ideas and Resources, More Resources & Links

New: (Beta) Media Computation with Spreadsheets

Related links: Institute for Computing EducationGeorgia Tech, "Georgia Computes!", Workshops in Media Computation

Python

Introduction to Computing and Programming in Python: A Multimedia Approach by Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson
Pearson site: Second edition Python, First edition Python

Resources that all students and teachers need:
- Latest version of JES Stable(v4.2.1/3.2.1) (Older versions of JES)
- mediasources.zip (updated November 2011, to include ajc-weather.html that was mistakenly left out) which contain all media used in the book except for the painting folders ("PAINT1" and "PAINT2") for the light-drawing movies in Chapter 13 which are available in ZIP files. (MediaSources for first edition are only slightly different but are available here.) Here is ajc-weather.html who missed it in their mediasources.
- Python 3ed Errata

For Teachers:
- Python 3ed Slides
- MediaTools,
- Older, 2ed:: Python 2ed Errata, Python Second edition slides
- New code for the Third Edition (3ed): Python_MediaComp_code_3e.zip
For teachers still using the first edition: First edition Slides(.zip) and Python Book Bugs List.

Java

Introduction to Computing and Programming in Java: A Multimedia Approach by Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson.
Pearson site
All Java Book Resources Page

Pieces that all Students (and Teacher) need:
- DrJava,
- java-sources.zip which need to be added to DrJava's Extra Classpath,
- mediasources.zip (updated Summer 2009) which contain all media used in the book.

For Teachers: PPT Slides, Media Computation Java FAQ, Lab Materials
Java Book Errata
- Translated into Chinese:

Alice and Media Computation

Exploring Wonderland: Java with Alice and Media Computation by Barbara Ericson, Wanda Dann, and Steve Cooper.
Pearson site
Wonderland Project Website

Alice and Media Computation in Python

Data Structures

. Problem Solving with Data Structures: A Multimedia Approach by Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson.

First four chapters of Beta book
All Students using the Data Structure Book Need:
- DrJava,
- JMusic – in particular, you need the inst (instruments) folder and jmusic.jar
- mediasources.zip (Updated Summer 2009, but fixed May 2010) – which contains all media for the book,
- Java-Sources.zip (Different than CS1 Java-Sources) – which contain all the java sources and the 3 .jar files that needed to be added to the Extra Classpath in DrJava.

For Teachers: Media Computation Data Structures Book Slides, Data Structures Book FAQ and Errata

Other books are including Media Computation in their themes and exercises.

Python Programming in Context by Brad Miller and David Ranum

Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python by Jennifer Campbell, Paul Gries, Jason Montojo, and Greg Wilson

Other Links and Resources

We have run several workshops on Media Computation. Information on new workshops and links to materials from old workshops
All of the Assessment Tools that we have used in our studies of Media Computation are available.
Demonstrations of the use of the Java MediaComputation materials (needs QuickTime (free)):
- About 40Mb (320x240 screen): JavaBookWalkthrough-Big.mov
- About 172Mb (640x480 screen): JavaBookWalkthrough-Huge.mov (Has a slightly different and extended introduction, but the demo is the same.)
The National Center for Women in IT (NCWIT) has highlighted Media Computation as a curricular approach for attracting women to IT. See the great program that they created for their Inaugural Practices Workshop at http://www.ncwit.org/pdf/Practices_Program.pdf
At SIGCSE 2007, we had a Media Computation Art Gallery with pieces contributed by students around the country.
- SIGCSE 2011: Media Computation BOF

More Resources and Project Ideas

High School Resources:

The new computing curriculum for the state of Georgia is at http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_cta.aspx?PageReq=CICTACRComp
Georgia Tech's Institute for Computing Education