Digital Explorations (Summer 2010)

Page Contents

Camp Hours

The camp begins on June 1 and goes until June 18.

The day begins at 8:30 and goes until noon. Be on time. Be ready to go to work and have fun.

The last day we have a dinner to which family members are invited.

Daily Work Sessions and Your Arcade Project

Each daily work session is divided into three parts. These three parts are not always in the same order. Generally, however, you start out by studying a problem that can be solaved using mathematics. Next, build a application that makes use of the math you have studied. Then you develop digital art to enhance the application you have developed.

As part of the camp, a mathematical opporunity worksheet (MOW) is used. As the name implies, this is a worksheet similiar to what you might find in a high school class. However, it is not something that is intended to be demanding. Rather that demanding answers to problems, it is set up so that you have the chance to explore mathematical concepts and how they can translated into a computer program.

During the last few days of the camp, you select one of the applications you have developed and refine it for final submission.

Course Projects (June 1 – June 18)

Strategies, Policies, Grades

To complete this camp successfully, daily attendance is required, along with completion of each of the labs and the arcade project.

Try to work along with the instructor and keep in tune with what others in the club are doing. Complete th projects as instructed. Stay within the context of the labs rather than trying to do anything from scratch. One of the objectives of the class is to allows you to explore what "morphing" is about. If you are interested in Flash game development, for example, it is standard practice for developers and artists to work from an pre-existing game to a new, morphed, version.

The University of Colorado provides a solid set of policies regarding the conduct of classes. If you have any concerns at all that fall into this area, please talk with the instructors. Keep in mind that courtesy is important, and any type of substance abuse within the classroom is not acceptable. Your experiences at camp should be pleasant and relaxed, so if anything is bothering you about anything, let the instructors know. Generally, come to the camp to participate, be productive, have fun, and learn.

Resource Documents and Links

Final Projects

Daily Labs

There are a total of eight starter projects for the camp.

The components for the camp are as follows:

• Mathematical Opportunity Worksheet - MOW. This is a PDF document. This is not meant to be a required worksheet, quiz, or test. Instead, it introduces you to mathematical topics. Also, if you want to morph the math, you can so using the hints and guides the MOWs provide.
• Art. The art you work with all emerge from the activities relating to the labs, but the art you create addresses the contexts provided by the applications. In this respect, the prospects remain infinite, but to get things started and understand what can be used in the projects you program, you can access starter versions of all eight applications.
• Flash Programming Projects. You use art and math to develop applications or games. Each project is developed initially from a lab, but after completing the basic specifications of the project through the lab, you are then free to do what you want--with the context of the course--to add art and math that makes the project something uniquely your own.

Temperature Conversion - Math and Programming

	Temperature Conversion Temperature Conversion MOW Temperature Conversion Worksheet           View the Temperature application.

Consumer Price Index

	Consumer Price Index Lab Consumer Price Index MOW Consumer Price Index Resources           Consumer Price Index Application

Interest

	Interest Lab Interest MOW Interest Resources           Interest Application

Ice Melting

	Ice Melting Lab Ice Melting MOW Ice Melting Resources           Ice Melting Application

Monty Hall Doors - Probability

	Monty Hall - Probability Lab Monty Hall - Probability MOW Monty Hall - Probability Resources           Monty Hall - Probability Application           Monty Hall - Fancy Version

Population Doubling

	Population Doubling Lab Population Doubling MOW Population Doubling Resources           Population Doubling Application

Slopes

	Slopes Lab Slopes MOW Slopes Resources           Slopes Application

Specifying a Morph

The specification is a document you produce that formally presents both a preliminary version of your presentation and a plan for your final days of development activity. It is a plan for how to take one of the starter applications and turn it into an individualized artifact, one that gives expression to your artistic visions, mathematical understanding, and programming skills. As a preliminary version of the presentation, the specification allows you to develop ideas concerning a manifesto, applied mathematics, art, and programming. As a plan of action, it lays out the scope of your activities during the final days of the camp. You must complete this document before you proceed with the final phase of activity, and your instructors must give their approval to it. Morph Specification - PDF Version Morph Specification - Word Version

Publishing a Flash Project to the Web

	This lab allows you to create an HTML page for your application. The instructor will provide detailed instructions about how to name the files and folders in which you save your project. You must provide your *.fla file along with the other files needed for web display. HTML Publication Resources           Sample for the lab.

Show Me

	Show Me Lab

Arrays