Can middle-schoolers use Storytelling Alice to make games?: results of a pilot study

In this paper we share experiences from two 2-week summer courses for middle-school students in game programming using Storytelling Alice (SA). The students spent 20 hours learning SA and creating their own ‘games’ alone and in pairs. We discuss problems and preliminary findings regarding game programming by middle-school students. Our findings suggest that middle-school students can use SA to make games, and that this activity can be used to build information technology fluency. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.3.2 [Computers and Education]: Computer and Information Science Education–computer science education, literacy General Terms Languages. Keywords Middle-school, pair programming, Storytelling Alice, IT fluency.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: FDG
• Authors: Linda L. Werner, Jill Denner, Michelle Bliesner, Pat Rex
• Keywords: FDG 2009, Game Programming, Middle-school Students, Storytelling Alice