Karel provides an oop approach to learning computer science

Karel provides an OOP approach to learning computer science

• Karel provides an OOP approach to learning computer science

• It provides visual feedback to students – you get to see your mistakes and triumphs.

• It will cover some of the major CS concepts in a short period of time:

• Inheritance, Polymorphism, Abstraction, Encapsulation, OOP-Design, Recursion, Iteration, Selection, …

• Filters out many(relevant) details so one can focus on the major concepts:

• Not in danger of losing sight of the Forest (computer science) through the details of the Trees (java details)

It’s pure Java

• It’s pure Java

• It introduces many major topics in a short period of time – not too much detail

• then, as the year goes on, we will spiral back through those topics introducing more and more detail as required

• 7 Week timeframe which includes lectures, homework, labs, quizzes, and tests

Robot World

• Robot World

• A flat plane of streets (east-west) and AVenues (north-south)

Bounded on west side by an an infinitely long vertical wall and on south side by infinitely long horizontal wall

• Bounded on west side by an an infinitely long vertical wall and on south side by infinitely long horizontal wall

• Streets and avenues have numbers

• Corner is identified by street and avenue. Origin is street 1, avenue 1.

• Position of robots and other things can be referred to by an absolute or relative location

Contains Beepers and Walls

• Contains Beepers and Walls

• Beepers

• Beep very softly. Robots cannot sense a beeper until they are on the same corner.
• May be picked up, carried, and placed again
• Several beepers can be placed on a corner and they don’t interfere with Robot movement

• Walls

• Placed half way between street corners
• Impenetrable, blocks robots
• Used to create rooms, mazes, hurdles

Moves

• Moves

• Only moves forward in direction top of its head is facing

• Turns

• Turns 90 degrees to the left

• Senses surroundings

• Hears beepers (on same corner)
• Determines direction it is facing

• Picks up, carries, and puts down beepers

• Turns itself off

Factory - Builds the robots

• Factory - Builds the robots

• Standard model
• New model
• Extension of an existing base model

• Factory – Delivers the robots

Examples:

• Examples:

• Move to a corner (3rd St. & 5th Ave.)
• Run a hurdle race
• Escape from a maze
• Find a beeper and deliver it to the origin
• Draw a pattern with beepers