Children's Programming Odyssey

University Of Kansas Center For Research Inc, Lawrence KS

Investigators

Abstract

IIS-0123712 Allen L. Ambler and Jennifer L. Leopold, University of Kansas $26,250 - 12 mos Children's Programming Odyssey This is a standard award. The 2001 IEEE Symposia on Human-Centric Computing Languages and Environments (HCC'01), to be held in Stresa, Italy on September 5-7, will include a special event - the Children's Programming Odyssey - featuring some of the world's premier researchers in children's programming languages, including Alan Kay (Squeak), Ken Kahn (Toontalk), Allan Cypher (Stagecast), and Alex Repenning (AgentSheets). This is funding to support participation in the Odyssey of up to ten graduate students from the United States, who will each give brief presentations of their thesis work followed by a positive critique from the panel of experts. Student participants will be invited based on materials submitted to a selection committee, to consist of the PI (who is also organizer of the Odyssey), Margaret Burnett from Oregon State University, and another member yet to be named. The primary criterion to be used by the selection committee is relevance of the student's dissertation research to children's programming, computer-based construction environments for learning, or end-user programming. In addition, the student must have done sufficient work so that s/he can talk from some experience. The selected students will be expected to submit a 5-page written paper describing their current work, to attend HCC'01, and to make a 10-minute presentation in the Odyssey. The students will benefit immensely from this unique opportunity to expose their ideas to and to interact with the leading researchers in this area; this nurturing effort is an inexpensive yet effective means of encouraging young and upcoming scientists.