Programming on the move

Abstract

Computer programming is often a stationary, solitary task; such tasks do not work well for most novices. This work describes the IPRO project that uses our 'Programming Standing Up' framework (PSU) to reframe programming as a mobile, social game. IPRO is a programming and simulation environment for iOS in which a learner programs a virtual robot to play soccer in a virtual space shared with her cohort. This work presents examples of secondary school students learning with IPRO. We then connect the examples to PSU design principles and evaluate those principles in terms of the examples.