Communications of the ACM
sing Hip-Hop to Teach Computer Science
Georgia Tech professor Brian Magerko
Credit: Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech recently provided computer science education to Atlanta area high school students via a musical summer camp.
Eighteen teenagers participated in the Earsketch workshop, which required them to create and remix hip-hop beats using a software program called Earsketch. Only five students had ever written computer code before attending the camp.
Georgia Tech professors Jason Freeman and Brian Magerko designed Earsketch, which utilizes the Python programming language and Reaper, a digital audio workstation program. The students remixed samples and loops to create three-minute tracks.
"We believe that we can get people more motivated in this field by placing introductory computing education into a really interesting, fun context," Freeman says. "Instead of writing programs that sort lists or crunch numbers, students learn all of these skills while making music."
Gwinnet County's Lanier High School will pilot the software and curriculum this spring as part of its music technology program.
From Georgia Tech News
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