MIST, The Mathematical Image Synthesis Toolkit
Eileen Fordham, Halley Freger, Amanda Hinchman-Dominguez, Alexander Mitchell, Daniel Rebelsky, Victoria Tsou, Earnest Wheeler, Zoe Wolter, Samuel A. Rebelsky · 2015
MIST, the Mathematical Image Synthesis Toolkit, is an open-source, Web-based graphics application in which students develop skills in computational thinking and deepen their understanding of mathematical functions through creative play in making images. Using a drag-and-drop interface, students build functions that describe animated abstract images. These functions combine a few basic images (e.g., a horizontal blend, a vertical blend, and a time-based blend) using mathematical operators whose semantics are based on corresponding points in each image (e.g., MIST includes models for adding and multiplying colors). Students develop a variety of skills in computational thinking by using the small set of images and operations to develop complex images, not only images that the system challenges them to make but also images that they find themselves inspired to create and even images that their peers challenge them to build. MIST also incorporates a community of artists/learners. Images created in MIST are available to other MIST users to comment on and remix (provided the designer permits reuse). MIST community members may also create challenges for other community members and can curate "galleries" of images they find particularly engaging, interesting, or even useful as challenges for others. Users can also share their images via Facebook or "tweet" their recent creations. We find that this additional community further encourages students to develop new and interesting images.