Design and Development of Computer Applications
The focus here is on the design and development of computer applications. In general, my examples of computer applications will be written in a general purpose programming language such as C, Perl, PHP, or Java. Over time, in order to better analyze data, we may develop statistical software, which will afford opportunities to discuss the design and development of computer applications as well as to explore methods for analyzing data. When not writing code in C, Perl, PHP,or Java, I will discuss programming in Javascript and coding in HTML. I will also consider how to program a spreadsheet cell in order to accomplish a task. This approach will provide insights into computer programming and may lead you to develop innovative spreadsheet applications.
One may seek to design and develop computer applications in order to create a variety of applications, as noted below. Over time, I plan to elaborate on each of the examples below.
Interactive Instruction
Instructional designers may choose to design and develop instruction for a variety of media such as printed publications, digital or analog video, or computing devices. With respect to computing devices, one could, for instance, develop instruction by creating a Screencast, an instructional PowerPoint presentation, a Flash application, or one could write a computer program (an app) that learners would execute in order to gain knowledge or skill.
Performance Technology Systems
In EDTC 6125, students may choose to develop an electronic performance support system (EPSS).
Using Javascript and HTML5 to Animate an Image
As an alternative to Adobe Flash, one may wish to create animations in Javascript using the canvas element in HTML 5. You may wish to see a simple animation I wrote using those technologies in order to demonstrate the solution to a puzzle.
Parameters in HTML Tags
Use of certain statements in HTML require inclusion of parameters. to computer programmers, parameters are variables in a function. To HTML developers, parameters permit default values to be changed in order to create a particular effect. Knowledge of the parameters of HTML tags helps present content on web pages, including content delivered through audio.
Programming a Spreadsheet Cell
Within a spreadsheet cell, one can enter an expression in order to control the manner in which the value of the cell is calculated. Often, expressions for numeric calculations are entered into spreadsheet cells. For example, the SUM or AVG function may be inserted into a cell in order to calculate the sum or mean of a range of cells. As an alternative to numeric expressions, one may enter a boolean expression, which is an expression that evaluates to true or false. Consider, for instance, use of an IF statement in a spreadsheet to grade student responses to a test. Another alternative method for determining the manner in which the value of a spreadsheet cell is calculated is to create an expression that combines logical and numeric expressions. For example, consider how four functions, namely AND, CELL, INT, and COUNTIF, can be combined and used in a spreadsheet to ensure that a valid number is entered into a Sudoku puzzle. For the complete explanation, see the appendix of the article, A Comparison of Two Methods for Completing Sudoku Puzzles, which is available for free download, along with a sample spreadsheet containing Sudoku puzzles with cell validation.
Generating Sudoku Puzzles
Using recursion, one can quickly write an algorithm for generating Sudoku puzzles.