Enhancing student interest by extending graphics applications (abstract only)
Samuel A. Rebelsky · 2012
Computer science teachers strive for new examples and problems to interest millenials. The Media Computation approach has proven successful in attracting students in contexts from community colleges to R1 universities - students are clearly excited by writing programs that make images. In this workshop, we show how to go a step further and have write scripts and plug-ins in Python for open-source graphics programs such as the GNU Image Manipulation Program and Inkscape, open source alternatives to Photoshop and Illustrator. With this approach, students not only make images, they also write filters and features that they can share with others, even with non-programmers. For example, students have written filters that "fractalize" vector graphics or that turn images into something that looks like stained glass. The ability to make programs that others will use is particularly motivational.