Developing Understanding of Programming Principles using Flash Actionscript

Abstract Over the last few years, the IT industry has witnessed a growth -driven by the success of the Internet- in the requirement of skills based on the emergence of the technology and the creative media industries. This has provided a unique niche market where, a combination of programming and artistic knowledge, is a requirement. As a result, many of the courses focusing on multimedia and information technology need students to develop programming and scripting skills to develop Web applications, databases, 3D modelling of objects, animation and games. For students who do not see themselves as serious programmers, some of the concepts and methods used in the teaching of programming can be difficult to grasp. It is important as a result to find ways of engaging students in activities where programming is seen as a tool to demonstrate other concepts and ideas visually which can in turn help in the teaching of programming principles. In this paper, the authors describe a number of activities used to engage multimedia students in the learning of scripting and programming. By the use of animation, mixed reality gaming, computer game design and research seminars, first year students are able to grasp the fundamentals of computer programming and combine it with their creative artistic side to produce digital multimedia content.