Alice 3 in Action with Java?

This 14-chapter text uses a combination of Alice 3 and pure Java to introduce beginning students to object-oriented (OO) programming concepts. Originally developed to eliminate barriers that have traditionally prevented many students from successfully learning to program, Alice 3, the latest release, makes it easy to build 3D animations using models from the popular Sims™ games, while eliminating syntax errors. The text employs a "spiral" pedagogical approach: the first six chapters use Alice's innovative drag-and-drop environment to introduce OO concepts through the medium of computer animation, while the final eight chapters use pure Java to revisit and expand on those same concepts. The text introduces core programming topics--including objects, classes, methods, variables, parameters, control structures, inheritance, and data structures--using the visually stimulating context of 3D animation to ensure that students are both motivated and prepared to continue their studies in Computer Science.

Joel Adams, a Professor of Computer Science at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has taught undergraduate computer science since 1984. He spends each July directing the Imaginary Worlds Camp, an animation camp for middle and high school students. Professor Adams is an ACM Distinguished Educator and a two-time Fulbright Scholar; he spent the Fall 2005 semester at Carnegie Mellon as a member of the Alice team.