Short Course: Digital Animations, Games and App Design

[Antje Hogan]

Hi everyone, 

I teach at Presentation Secondary School Clonmel and we were meant to showcase our Computer Science curriculum (which is streamlined from 1^st Year all the way to LCCS in 5^th and 6^th Year), at yesterday's National Computer Science Conference. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it. I am sure if was a fruitful undertaking and all-round success and I am sorry to have missed it.

With subject planning for next year underway, you may be interested in a short course I wrote for our students to compliment the NCCA short course "Coding". We felt the "Digital Media Literacy" short course while very important was not aligned to Computer Science as a subject.  So, I developed a short course entitled "Animations, Games and App Design" which followed the NCCA guidelines, was approved by same and piloted two years ago with our 3^rd Year students. It is now an integral part of our Junior Cycle programme.

The short course is designed for 100 hours and has three strands:

• Strand 1: Problem-Solving and Computing: This strand introduces students to the core of computer science: studying problems, solving problems and finding solutions. Students have an opportunity in interactive and collaborative exercises to address a series of puzzles, challenges and real-world scenarios and learn how computers help humans solve problems. They can demonstrate their learning by proposing an app designed to solve a real-world problem.
• Strand 2: Let me entertain you! In this strand students deepen their understanding of how computer science in general, and programming specifically, plays a role in entertainment or as a vehicle for self-expression by learning how to code animations, interactive art and games. They are also introduced to a structured approach in game design.
• Strand 3: Introduction to App Design In this strand students investigate and explore what makes an app an app and are introduced to the design process computer scientists use daily. They have an opportunity to apply their learning by evaluating their proposal for an app from Strand 1 before collaboratively embarking on the design and development of their own functional app.

Like all short courses, it is linked to the statements of learning and key skills of the Junior Cycle framework and contains a section on assessment (CBA) and the relevant features of quality. 

It is available here for anyone who is interested. I will gladly answer questions and/or share our experiences with this short course, if needed. So feel free to reach out. 

Kind regards,

Antje

Antje Hogan

English | German | Computer Science

Assistant Principal

 

 

Presentation Secondary School Clonmel

Dungarvan Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, E91 HY49

Phone: (052) 612 3587

Web: www.presclonmel.com

Antje Hogan - Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland | Professional Profile | LinkedIn

 

The content of this e-mail is private and confidential. This e-mail and any files and attachments transmitted with it are private and confidential. They are intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. The content of this e-mail and any file or attachment transmitted with it may have been changed or altered without the consent of the author. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any review, dissemination, disclosure, alteration, printing, circulation or transmission of this e-mail and/or any file or attachment transmitted with it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this e-mail or any file or attachment transmitted with it in error, please notify the appropriate School authority at the above e-mail address or call us on 0526123587.