Alice 3 and Textbooks

We're trying to make some decisions on textbooks. Will Alice 3 bring new textbooks? Should we hold off, if the textbooks will be obsolete after a year?

Thanks!

Originally Posted by jkearns

We're trying to make some decisions on textbooks. Will Alice 3 bring new textbooks? Should we hold off, if the textbooks will be obsolete after a year?

Thanks!

Although I have no official information in this regard, I can't imagine how the current crop of 2.0 textbooks will be very useful for teaching Alice 3.0.

If you need teaching material to use with 2.0 while waiting for the new Alice 3.0 textbooks, see http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocalice.htm

Dick Baldwin
Free Alice tutorials: http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocalice.htm
Free programming tutorials: http://www.dickbaldwin.com/toc.htm

Is there any official word on this?

I've been asked this informally a couple of times but - not being a teacher - have pretty well ducked the question.

While I agree with Dick that I can't imagine the existing textbooks (with the possible exception of the one by Adams, which does cover Java in some detail) being much use with Alice 3.0, I also realize my imagination in this area is limited.

My other problem in coming up with a good answer is getting a good feel for the actual release data of Alice 3.0. If, as I suspect it will, that slips past the Fall '09 target - at least a class set purchase of the current texts, updated possibly to cover Alice 2.2, might be worthwhile.

Finally, I would note that this is one place that the "only for teachers" nature of many of the resources is likely to hurt teachers looking for support. The people who have been asking me questions are not teachers - but do have significant control over spending for textbooks.

OK. Now I am somewhat confused.

I need to begin preparation for the 2008-2009 year within the next few weeks. Do I prepare based upon Alice 2.0, 2.2, etc? Does anyone know the ETA for Alice 2.2? Is there/will there be any documentation for Alice 2.2? Will there be a Beta release of 2.2 so that those of us currently using Alice in a classroom setting can begin reviewing it's functionality? Should I begin 'prep-ing' my people for expenditures on textbooks for 2.2?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Hi,

I'm fully planning on using Alice 2.0 in my classes this coming academic year. As I understand it, there will be a few beta testers for Alice 3 this fall, with the release next spring. I don't expect any textbooks to be available by then.

As far as differences between 2.0 and 2.2, AFAIK the differences are so small that a different textbook probably won't be necessary.

(From what I recall, the only changes are bug fixes and movie recording capabilities... no real change in interface, operations, etc)

Hope this helps,

Howard

Originally Posted by HowardF64

Hi,

I'm fully planning on using Alice 2.0 in my classes this coming academic year. As I understand it, there will be a few beta testers for Alice 3 this fall, with the release next spring. I don't expect any textbooks to be available by then.

As far as differences between 2.0 and 2.2, AFAIK the differences are so small that a different textbook probably won't be necessary.

(From what I recall, the only changes are bug fixes and movie recording capabilities... no real change in interface, operations, etc)

Hope this helps,

Howard

I also remember some talk about walking methods having been added to some of the bipedal objects in 2.2.

Dick Baldwin
Free Alice tutorials: http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocalice.htm
Free Scratch tutorials: http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocHomeSchool.htm
Free Java/C#, etc. tutorials: http://www.dickbaldwin.com/toc.htm

Having walking methods for some bipedal objects is already a feature of Alice 2.0. In addition to He/Shebuilder, the Mad Scientist has a nice walk. I think the question really is whether or not Alice 2.0 will have “walk” as a standard method like “Storytelling Alice.” Given the “posed” nature of most of the walk methods, I rather doubt it – but it would be nice.

There also at one time was a discussion of an Alice 2.1 that had the bugs in scripting fixed. Given the new release is 2.2, maybe some of the scripting problems will be fixed – though since this is a bit of a deviation from what I understand is the direction for 3.0,it seems unlikely, but again would be nice.

Maybe Gabe or someone else from CMU can comment a bit further.

The exciting thing I'm looking forward to in Alice 3.0 is the purported ability to switch in and out of a Java IDE.

Originally Posted by lanceA

The exciting thing I'm looking forward to in Alice 3.0 is the purported ability to switch in and out of a Java IDE.

YES! (And I don't even program much in - or particularly like - Java. But any OOP high level language will be great - and Java certainly fits that description.)