This course teaches coding in an introductory manner so that it can become a tool for art, creativity, and fun.
The goal is to begin a journey in which you use the computer to expand your creative and technical possibilities. I want your computer to be another tool in your creative palate. These tools will become an extension of you, something you think through, express yourself through, and can contribute to the world through.
The course design offers you a deeper understanding of the essential possibilities of computation.
The course focuses on the fundamentals of programming the computer (variables, conditionals, iteration, functions, and objects) while also touching on a few advanced topics and relating this all to the creative and expressive possibilities of media art and the beginning of game design and programming. We start by using several "visually-based" programming languages, and then we will transition into a JavaScript-based, 'p5.js', programming framework. The course concludes with your design, development, and implementation of a final project of your choosing.
This course is exclusively online. As such, the expectation is that you engage with all content throughout this site. However, I will be here to help along the way too! Use Moodle to turn in assignments and join with discussions. Assessment occurs primarily through regular project-based assignments, writings, and community engagement in Moodle for privacy.
This course will expose you to new technologies while also thinking about design and content creation. Some weeks will lean more technical, while others will lean more creative-based.
Just as the content focus will shift, so to will the work amount. Some weeks, especially those when introducing new topics, might feel a little heavier. However, I want you to have a chance to practice with these new technologies and techniques, so you feel comfortable with them. Some weeks will hopefully feel as if you are exploring and playing a little more.
There are four high-level goals for this course
The rest of this week will introduce the following;