Presented by:

Margaret Low

from University of Warwick

I'm Director of Outreach and Widening Participation for WMG at the University of Warwick, UK. I work with young people to encourage them to become creators as well as consumers of technology. My interactive workshops explore creative aspects of technology. I collaborate with local, national and international organisations and communities to explore inclusive, creative learning experiences. In 2008, I set up the student-led, Technology Volunteers project at Warwick, enabling students to present technology workshops for local school children.

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From Pattern to Code is a series of videos that show how to develop code to create patterns in TurtleStitch. Using TurtleStitch means that patterns can then be stitched onto cloth using an embroidery machine enabling the creation of tangible objects.

These resources take a different approach to learning to code. Instead of focusing on key concepts in computing, or introducing commands and their function and building bottom-up from there, these resources present a range of images showing patterns, and exploring top-down from there how they can be created from code. Clicking on the image gives a short 2 minute video that explains how the pattern can be created using code.

The idea is to give people a reason to want to learn to program, and aims to inspire them to create their own patterns. Meanwhile it introduces them to useful concepts in computing and to become familiar with a range of commands. It gives valuable information about the context where its appropriate to use specific commands and shows how to apply them.

Videos are used because of the flexibility in use they offer. A video can be watched to get an idea about how to create the pattern, they can be paused, slowed down or restarted making it easy to follow key steps. The short duration of the videos is to minimise the time invested in deciding whether to create the pattern.

www.warwick.ac.uk/turtlestitch/patterntocode

Duration:
7 min
Room:
Online Room 1
Conference:
Snap!shot 2024
Type:
Lightning Talk