The legacy of Randy Pausch lives on in the world of 3D software that seeks to inspire a passion for computer sciences among middle and high school students.
Carnegie Mellon University, with the technical support of
Sun Microsystems, unveiled the beta-version of
Alice 3 this month, an innovative,
Java technology-based program that teaches students the platform through the creation of lively, 3D animations, stories and video games. The latest version will improve upon Alice 2, which is already in use in schools.
Pausch, the beloved professor who died of pancreatic cancer last summer, spent more than a decade of his career developing the program. Experts believe its revolutionary approach may put passion back into the teaching of computer science in the United States.
“It’s highly motivational to students, allowing them to create animation that tells a story while giving them confidence in learning how to program.” says Wanda Dann, lead developer. “He (Pausch) felt the Alice project was his greatest contribution to computer science education and we’re quite proud of the fact that we’re continuing its success.”
Educators from across the country came to Pittsburgh this month to participate in the launch.
The Community College of Allegheny County was chosen as the local representative. More than 90 educators from around the world asked to be a part of the initial test this month but only three dozen could be accommodated, Dann explains.
Chosen high schools and colleges will work with Carnegie Mellon to fix bugs and fine-tune the platform. The final product may be available as early as this summer.
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Writer:
Deb SmitSource: Wanda Dann, Carnegie Mellon University
Image courtesy Carnegie Mellon University