Begin Programming: Build Your First Mobile Game | Jez Phipps
The Begin Programming course is a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) created by the University of Reading and hosted by FutureLearn, a UK-based social learning platform.
This hands-on course involved the use of:
Java SE SDK (Windows 7 64-bit) 8 Update 112 (http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads)
Android Studio IDE version 2.2.2.0 (https://developer.android.com/studio/index.html)
a set of game framework files provided by the University of Reading
Over 7 weeks, the course introduced the basic constructs used in many programming languages and help learners to put this knowledge into practice by changing the game code we have provided
Having successfully completed the course, I subsequently decided to create this online record of my learning.
My FutureLearn profile can be found here: Jez Phipps
Week 1 - Welcome to Begin Programming
In the first week, we learned how to:
install and check the Java SE SDK
install and configure the Android Studio IDE, including:
how to set up an emulator;
how to set up an Android Device using the Direct Connection method;
how to set up an Android Device using the APK method.
Practical work
After learning about the options for setting up Android Studio, students were required to choose the best methods. I found the emulation method very slow, resource-hungry and unreliable and hence opted for a direct device connection (USB). Note: The APK method is useful for sharing the code but does not provide direct control from inside Android Studio.
Week 2 - Introducing code constructs
In Week 2, learners are introduced to some of the basic constructs used in programming, including:
variables and data types
the most commonly used operators, namely:
assignment operators
arithmetic operators
unary operators
equality, conditional and relational
operator precedence
Practical work
After being introduced to the Android Studio debugging functions, students were encouraged to make some changes to the game code, including:
increasing the speed of the ball
experimenting with setting the ball (x, y) location
testing the actionOnTouch() method
Week 3 - Conditional statements
In Week 3, students learned the basics of conditional statements and Boolean expressions and how these can be used to improve the game.
Practical work
The hands-on activities involved making several important changes to the game, including:
ensuring the ball is positioned correctly at the start
making the ball bounce off the edge of the screen
adding a Bitmap for the paddle, positioning it and drawing it
adding the code required for the paddle to respond both to touch and to device movement
adding the conditional statements required to create ball-to-paddle collision logic
test the collision detection code to ensure the ball rebounds as expected
Week 4 - Arrays and loops
In Week 4, learners explored how arrays and loops are useful in programming.
Practical work
The practical work involved making some key changes to the game, including:
adding multiple obstacle images to the game using arrays
using iteration (loops) to draw the images held in an array
Week 5 - Algorithms
In Week 5, the concepts that underpin algorithms were introduced, including:
the use of 'Structured English' pseudocode to define algorithms
the use of nested loops and conditional statements in sorting algorithms
applying the knowledge gained so far to programmatically solve more complex problems
Practical work
The practical work involved considering how the game could be improved. I came up with a number of ideas and began implementing the following in Android Studio:
adding an updateLives() function, and the required supporting code, to limit player lives to 3
add the code required such that the Number of Lives text is displayed/updated on screen using TextView
changed the background and paddle images to match my chosen theme
added conditional statements such that an image swap function is executed when certain collisions occur
Week 6 - Functions
In Week 6, the use of functions for reusable code was explored. In particular, we covered:
how functions help to make code simpler, easier to maintain and easier to modify later on
how to use the debugger in Android Studio to step in and out of functions
how the combination of the function name and parameter types used create a ‘signature’
the advantages of using return values to create more useful functions
Practical work
The practical work involved continuing to make improvements to the game, including:
developing a paddle repositioning function that executes each time points are scored
making use of Android Studio debugger to identify and fix any problems in the code
creating a function from scratch; I chose to add sound effects to the game using a SoundPlayer class and associated functions
Week 7 - Consolidate, reflect and celebrate
In the final week, learners were required to:
share ideas and successes with others on the course
assess knowledge gained with the 3 end-of-course tests, which are:
'Speaking the language', which tests your knowledge of programming terms
'Putting knowledge into practice', which challenges your coding skills
'Bringing it all together', which draws together questions from across the course
Reflect on what you have explored and achieved and the skills gained during the course
Practical work
In the final week I decided to make the following improvements to the game:
added code to cause target to move back-and-forth along top of screen when certain score is reached
created custom app icon (ic_launcher)
generated a signed APK to allow app to be shared
Course result
My end-of-course test score: 98% - Eligibility for a Certificate of Achievement confirmed.
Note: This record does not imply the conferment of a University qualification nor does it verify the identity of the student. For more information about the effort required to become eligible, visit FutureLearn's Certificates and Statements FAQ.
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