Languages in Education

This project develops new computer languages that assist students in understanding fundamental concepts within the core of the high school (ages 12 - 18) curriculum. Our goal is to allow a student or instructor to describe objects within a general learning domain in a manner understandable by a computer. These abstract objects may be mathematical functions, physical laws, computational processes, or other intangible entities. Once the computer knows what the student or instructor is expressing it can then realize the object in ways that help explore and understand its properties.

We take ideas developed by programming language researchers and adapt them for educational use. These ideas include functional abstraction, definitional programming, type systems, and program generation. We also seek formal validation of our educational techniques through controlled studies.

Our Research

We have developed two languages: one for mathematical visualization and another for algorithmic music composition. Each of these languages is available in preliminary form for downloading. We encourage educators and adventurous students to try out our software and give us feedback.

Please address comments to John Peterson (peterson-john@cs.yale.edu). We are especially interested in hearing about new uses for our software or receiving objects (musical compositions, pictures, or animations) created by students.

Mathematical Visualization | Algorithmic Music | Our Philosophy | Publications | Download Software | About Us