Java is a complex programming language. Using graphics early in the course captures students' interest and provides immediate feedback as to the success of their efforts. Participants will learn how to enable students to rapidly create complex programs with many interacting objects by using this real-world context.

Presenter(s): John Harrison, Princess Anne High School, Virginia Beach, VA

Subject(s): Computer Science

Attendees will learn about a unique partnership between CSTA and the College Board aimed at addressing key pipeline issues in computer science education. Specifically, the partnership will focus on the critical need to support teachers and students at the Pre-AP level as a means of ensuring that both are prepared for the next step. Several projects focusing on resource creation and dissemination and professional development will be discussed. The session leaders will also encourage attendees to contribute their concerns about and their suggestions for addressing critical pipeline issues. At the completion of this session, attendees will have knowledge of the scope of the current pipeline problems and how key partnerships can be leveraged to provide workable solutions to these problems.

Presenter(s): Gail Chapman, The College Board, New York, NY;
Chris Stephenson, Computer Science Teachers Association, Eugene, OR

Subject(s): Computer Science

This session presents an innovative approach to pre-AP Computer Science using Alice, a 3D animation and program visualization as a high-motivation, high-impact strategy. The software was developed at Carnegie Mellon University (under the direction of Randy Pausch) and is freely available via an Internet download (www.alice.org). Instructional materials have been developed and tested for effectiveness in NSF-sponsored studies and are freely available to teachers (www.aliceprogramming.net). The 3D animation environment will be demonstrated and sample animations will be constructed and then related to the concepts covered in the AP Computer Science A course. Object-oriented and imperative programming concepts include classes/objects, encapsulation, inheritance, methods/parameters, conditionals, and iteration. Participants will gain an introduction to this innovative approach and will learn how to adopt/adapt this strategy to encourage and better prepare students for AP Computer Science.

Presenter(s): Wanda Dann, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY;
Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;
Stephen Cooper, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA

Subject(s): Computer Science

In this session, participants gain an understanding of the creation and grading process of the AP Computer Science Exam and are introduced to general observations that can be made after three years of using Java as the language of the exam. Insights into the development of free-response questions will be provided by current committee members, with an eye toward upcoming changes in the AP Computer Science curriculum. The session concludes with a question-and-answer period.

Presenter(s): David Reed, Creighton University, Omaha, NE;
Ann Shen, Bishop Strachan School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
Laurie White, Mercer University, Macon, GA

Subject(s): Computer Science

Java 5 has been released and will impact the 2007 AP Computer Science Exam. In this session, participants will learn from Computer Science Development Committee members how the exam will and won't change as a result of the changes in Java 5. Participants will gain a clear understanding of which new features will be tested and which will be useful in class, but not included on the Exam. Participants will also learn about other upcoming changes to the exam.

Presenter(s): David Reed, Creighton University, Omaha, NE;
Ann Shen, Bishop Strachan School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
Laurie White, Mercer University, Macon, GA

Subject(s): Computer Science

Although the AP Computer Science curriculum defines a standard knowledge set, high school students who complete the curriculum and move on to college discover that each college treats their AP credit differently. These differences are primarily due to the lack of a standard "first year" computing curriculum at the college level. The goals of this session are to discuss curricular approaches used in first year computing sequences in colleges across the country and to identify topics in the AP curriculum that students continue to have difficulty with. The discussion will be based on the presenters¿ experience working with AP students at RIT, and surveys from other colleges and universities. Participants will learn how to apply this knowledge to adapt their teaching to improve college-level preparation of their students.

Presenter(s): Rajendra Raj, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY;
Paul Tymann, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY

Subject(s): Computer Science

In this workshop, participants gain a greater understanding of the pedagogical principles and practices specific to introductory computer science courses.

Presenter(s): Jody Paul, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Denver, CO

Subject(s): Computer Science