Re-imagining CS1/CS2 with Android using the Sofia framework (abstract only)
Stephen H. Edwards · 2013
Android has seen increased use in introductory CS courses to motivate and excite students about their programming assignments, but using the standard Android libraries as a GUI platform in CS2 presents numerous challenges and using it in CS1 is nearly impossible. This workshop introduces participants to Sofia, the Simplified Open Framework for Innovative Android Applications, developed by the Web-CAT team at Virginia Tech. Sofia abstracts out many of the advanced concepts normally required to develop interesting applications, using a unique approach to event handling, binding GUI elements to Java code, and user interaction. The goal is to allow students to focus entirely on using Java programming skills to solve problems in the application domain, instead of writing monotonous glue code typically required to construct an Android application. Laptop optional.