[Year 12 SofDev] Programming on the iPad with Codea

[Mark Schumann]

Hi Kevork,

I used Codea with my Year 9s using the tutorial below as an introduction:

https://bitbucket.org/TwoLivesLeft/core/wiki/ForKids

I found it worked very well but beyond that tutorial it became quite difficult for the year 9 group to develop anything more complex than a few sprites moving around the screen. Interactions, collisions, explosions, animations, etc, were all quite complex to develop given it's purely code (with a few visual cues). Lua is very easy to learn but with the limited time I had with my year 9s it became a little too difficult.

I ended up using the app GamePress for iPad, which is closer to GameMaker in design and allows for logical branching of behaviours (collisions are VERY easy in that respect), a greater library of assets, and a good visual interface with drag and drop capability.

Feel free to contact me off list for more detail.

Mark
________________________________
From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] on behalf of Kevork Krozian [kevork at edulists.com.au]
Sent: 26 October 2013 14:32
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List; Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List; 'Year 11 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List'
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Programming on the iPad with Codea

Hi Folks,

Sorry for the cross posts but recently  I have been quite absorbed with Codea as a programming language that can be a huge attraction for students of any year level in schools using iPads.
Has anyone taught programming on the iPad using this application? – it uses the language Lua,  http://www.lua.org/about.html
I am already looking at creating a beginner’s tutorial of say 10 lessons and then an intermediate version. It looks like an amazing hook to get students into IT / gaming / programming in middle and senior years considering they can do the work anywhere with their tablet on the bus, on the train, in the school playground, at home, in the car and oh I nearly forgot,  the classroom :)

Kind Regards

Kevork Krozian
Edulists Creator Administrator
www.edulists.com.au
tel: 0419 356 034

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