Preparations to Use MIT App Inventor

Discusses the requirements, including equipment, software and networks, in preparation for getting started using MIT App Inventor to create Android apps and teach basic computer science.

Getting Started with MIT App Inventor

This video discusses what will need to know about working with MIT App Inventor before starting a first project. This includes: logging in, starting a project, connecting the computer and Android phone or device, restoring a lost connection and the MIT App Inventor workspaces.

Lesson 1: Question-Answer App – Labels, Buttons and Text-to-Speech

In this lesson, students create a simple app that asks and answers questions. The app serves as a study aid providing a tool for students to exercise self-testing to help them learn new material. The lesson provides detailed step-by-step instruction with explanation, including how to professionalize an app and package it for loading on a phone or device, or distributing through the Google Play Store.

Lesson 2: Picture Panel App – Pixels, Pixel Arrays and Screen Layout

This lesson introduces the use of Layout components to achieve an appealing visual display.  This will require an understanding that the display screen of an Android phone or device consists of an array of pixels, and that objects displayed on the screen may be sized by setting their height and width in pixels.  An app will be created that consists of a panel containing different pictures.  When a user taps on one of the pictures, text-to-speech will tell about the picture. 

Lesson 3: Mad Libs App - User Input and Textboxes

This lesson introduces apps with which a user provides input and the app responds in different ways depending on the user input.  For this app, emphasize will be on Text Boxes as the basis for user input, with students creating a version of the game Mad Libs.  This exercise demonstrates the practice of finding funny things to do with important information to help remember it. 

Lesson 4: Talking Picture App – Canvasses, Sprites and Hotspots

This lesson introduces canvasses and the use of sprites.  For now, sprites will be used to create hotspots on an image that behave like a button.  An App will be created that presents an image and when a user taps hotspots on the image, the app will speak.  This exercise demonstrates the practice of finding ways to represent important information both visually and verbally.

Lesson 5: Metric Conversion App - Math Operations

This lesson introduces the use of math operations.  A metric conversion app will be created with which a user may enter values in English units and convert to metric units.

Lesson 6: Balloon Pop App – Variables and Random Numbers

In this lesson, an app will be created that uses variables whose values change as a user plays the game.  This section also introduces the random number generator and the use of random numbers.  A simple game will be created in which a balloon is inflated, but every time air is pumped into the balloon, there is a risk of popping the balloon and losing the game.

Lesson 7 Millisecond App - Clock, States & Sliders

This lesson asks students to think at the millisecond scale.  This is the scale at which events happen in popular games and other software-based and communications systems.  An app will be created in which students can adjust the response time on a millisecond scale and test their reaction time.  This section introduces the use of a Clock as a timer, as well as States, and the use of Sliders for user input.