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The design of kodu: a tiny visual programming language for children on the Xbox 360

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Matthew B. MacLaurinAuthors Info & Claims

POPL '11: Proceedings of the 38th annual ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on Principles of programming languages

Pages 241 - 246

https://doi.org/10.1145/1926385.1926413

Published: 26 January 2011 Publication History

Abstract

Kodu is a relatively new programming language designed specifically for young children to learn through independent exploration. Kodu seeks to lower the barrier to entry for new programmers by presenting a radically simplified programming model which nevertheless has significant expressive power. Kodu is integrated in a real-time 3D gaming environment and is designed to compete with modern console games in terms of intuitive user interface and graphical production values. In this paper we will review key tradeoffs made in the design of the programming language and illustrate how it is one of very few languages designed using user interface design principles and methodologies, to the extent that the blend of subjective and objective factors considered in the language design have succeeded in presenting a model of programming which is uniquely approachable and creatively empowering for non-technical users.

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References

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Microsoft FUSE Labs. Kodu Web Site. {Online} {Cited: November 12, 2010.} http://fuse.microsoft.com/project/kodu.aspx.

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Stolee, K. T. Kodu language and grammar specification. Redmond, WA, USA: Microsoft Research, 2010.

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Cited By

Fayed MAlohali Y(2025)PWCT2: A Self-Hosting Visual Programming Language Based on Ring with Interactive Textual-to-Visual Code ConversionApplied Sciences10.3390/app1503152115:3(1521)Online publication date: 2-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031521
Videnovik MMadevska Bogdanova ATrajkovik V(2024)Game-based learning approach in computer science in primary education: A systematic reviewEntertainment Computing10.1016/j.entcom.2023.10061648(100616)Online publication date: Jan-2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2023.100616
Eng KHindle ASenchenko A(2023)Identifying Defect-Inducing Changes in Visual Code2023 IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance and Evolution (ICSME)10.1109/ICSME58846.2023.00061(474-484)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSME58846.2023.00061
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Index Terms

The design of kodu: a tiny visual programming language for children on the Xbox 360
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education
      2. Model curricula
2. Software and its engineering
  1. Software creation and management
  2. Software notations and tools

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POPL '11

Kodu is a relatively new programming language designed specifically for young children to learn through independent exploration. Kodu seeks to lower the barrier to entry for new programmers by presenting a radically simplified programming model which ...

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cover image ACM Conferences

POPL '11: Proceedings of the 38th annual ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on Principles of programming languages

January 2011

652 pages

ISBN:9781450304900

DOI:10.1145/1926385

General Chair:
Thomas Ball
Microsoft Research, USA
,
Program Chair:
Mooly Sagiv
Tel Aviv University, Israel

ACM SIGPLAN Notices Volume 46, Issue 1
POPL '11
January 2011
624 pages
ISSN:0362-1340
EISSN:1558-1160
DOI:10.1145/1925844
Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2011 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Published: 26 January 2011

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POPL '11: The 38th Annual ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT Symposium on Principles of Programming Languages

January 26 - 28, 2011

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Cited By

Fayed MAlohali Y(2025)PWCT2: A Self-Hosting Visual Programming Language Based on Ring with Interactive Textual-to-Visual Code ConversionApplied Sciences10.3390/app1503152115:3(1521)Online publication date: 2-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031521
Videnovik MMadevska Bogdanova ATrajkovik V(2024)Game-based learning approach in computer science in primary education: A systematic reviewEntertainment Computing10.1016/j.entcom.2023.10061648(100616)Online publication date: Jan-2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2023.100616
Eng KHindle ASenchenko A(2023)Identifying Defect-Inducing Changes in Visual Code2023 IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance and Evolution (ICSME)10.1109/ICSME58846.2023.00061(474-484)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSME58846.2023.00061
Hava KGuyer TCakir H(2022)Factors That Enable or Hinder the Implementation of Game Development Activity in Learning EnvironmentsResearch Anthology on Developments in Gamification and Game-Based Learning10.4018/978-1-6684-3710-0.ch016(344-364)Online publication date: 2022
https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-3710-0.ch016
Druga SBall TKo A(2022)How families design and program games: a qualitative analysis of a 4-week online in-home studyProceedings of the 21st Annual ACM Interaction Design and Children Conference10.1145/3501712.3529724(237-252)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3501712.3529724
Touretzky DGardner-McCune CSeehorn D(2022)Machine Learning and the Five Big Ideas in AIInternational Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education10.1007/s40593-022-00314-133:2(233-266)Online publication date: 27-Oct-2022
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40593-022-00314-1
Hava KGuyer TCakir H(2020)Factors That Enable or Hinder the Implementation of Game Development Activity in Learning EnvironmentsCognitive and Affective Perspectives on Immersive Technology in Education10.4018/978-1-7998-3250-8.ch014(267-288)Online publication date: 2020
https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-3250-8.ch014
Min WMott BPark KTaylor SAkram BWiebe EBoyer KLester J(2020)Promoting Computer Science Learning with Block-Based Programming and Narrative-Centered Gameplay2020 IEEE Conference on Games (CoG)10.1109/CoG47356.2020.9231881(654-657)Online publication date: Aug-2020
https://doi.org/10.1109/CoG47356.2020.9231881
Li JLin YSun MShadiev R(2020)Socially shared regulation of learning in game-based collaborative learning environments promotes algorithmic thinking, learning participation and positive learning attitudesInteractive Learning Environments10.1080/10494820.2020.185778331:3(1715-1726)Online publication date: 11-Dec-2020
https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1857783
Agalbato FLoiacono D(2018) Robo 3 : A Puzzle Game to Learn Coding 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM)10.1109/GEM.2018.8516515(359-366)Online publication date: Aug-2018
https://doi.org/10.1109/GEM.2018.8516515
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