Programming for pre-college education using Squeak Smalltalk

Abstract

Competence in a programming language can provide a strong basis for logical thinking and an exposure to technology; however, many languages are perceived to be too complicated to learn at a young age. Opportunities for precollege students to learn programming concepts can help develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that will enhance their educational experiences. Also, conceptual understanding of programming techniques in one language can aid in learning other languages. This project developed an integrated series of programming tutorials for using Squeak Smalltalk. Squeak Smalltalk is an open-sourced, object-oriented programming language that is being used for educational software and through the OneLaptop-per-Child initiative as well as for database and multi-media applications. The intent of the tutorials is to allow anyone, no matter their current programming proficiency, to learn applied programming techniques and to avoid simple manipulation of code without understanding the underlying concepts. These tutorials cover object-oriented commands, conditional coding, programming methods, variables, and classes in the context of Squeak Smalltalk, but these concepts are applicable to many languages. The object-oriented nature of Squeak Smalltalk facilitated the development of basic programming literacy. The tutorials, an implementation with pre-college students and teachers, and an associated assessment are described. Completion of the tutorial series enabled the young programmers to adapt the Squeak software package for their own original programs.