build predetermined applications. However, the Scottish curriculum is going
through a significant overhaul, and the
new layout will be less structured.
In the future, once we’ve covered
the programming basics, students
will have more options in the types
of applications they can build. Some
students have built simple math
games using loops. Others have built
simple animations that talk to each
other using audio clips they have
recorded using an iPod.
Another student decided to modify
an existing program that made use of
a switch statement allowing the user
to choose a color and then, depending on which color was chosen, produce a specific message. In only a few
clicks, she got the program working
on her iPhone.
Recently, some students in my higher class decided to produce their Higher Scottish Qualification Authority
coursework as a mobile application.
It is exciting to see their programs
become working mobile apps on their
Android phones, iPhones, iPods, and
iPads! Many student have one of these
nowadays, and if they don’t, we have a
small stock of iPads at the school that
they can use to try out their programs.
We also intend to use LiveCode for
a new animation course, so eventually
students can incorporate animations
into the apps they’re building in class.
Students Weigh In
In addition to a more comprehen-
sible language, a visual approach and
instant gratification go a long way to-
ward inspiring students. Martin, one
of my sixth-year students, said:
I’ve been making a spot-the-dif-
ference game, and the fact that it
uses a majority of English words
for the code made it really easy
to learn. I can intuitively write
the code, don’t have to look for
a manual, and can just think it in
my mind and then translate it to
code. I can create graphical in-
terfaces using LiveCode, whereas
with COMAL it was all text based
and really boring.
Harry, another Gracemount student,
likes the assistance he gets not only in
the classroom, but also online. “The
online forum was helpful and support-
ive,” he said. “Everyone was very will-
ing to help and answer any questions.”
Moving students to mobile app
development is another critical factor
in getting them to love computer sci-
ence. Teachers should look for cross-
platform development tools that allow
students to write for one platform and
deploy and enjoy their apps on their
mobile phones. We’re living in an app-
driven world, and the ability to create
an app in LiveCode for iPhone, iPad,
and Android devices is exciting to stu-
dents. One of my students remarked,
“I love using LiveCode because I got
the chance to put what I created in
class onto my phone.”
Students who gain knowledge and
confidence in mobile app develop-
ment will benefit well beyond the
classroom. The rise of mobile app
developers is increasing at an incred-
ible rate, and introducing students to
a profession with more than 500,000
new jobs annually, according to a sur-
vey by TechNet ( bit.ly/AlGe4l), makes
great sense for educators.
—Steven Whyte is a computer studies teacher
at Gracemount High School in Edinburgh,
Scotland. He has been teaching technology and
computer science courses for more than six years.
