Ross Brown School of Information Technology QUT

OR… What has Immanuel Kant, Weird Al Yankovic, Myth Busters and MC Escher have to do with getting kids excited about Software Engineering A lot I believe Elvis will be also entering the building

Getting Excited about Graphics My story… Point icosoVertices[] = { {0.0, 1.0, 0.618}, {0.0, 1.0, }, {1.0, 0.618, 0.0}, {1.0, , 0.0}, {0.0, -1.0, }, {0.0, -1.0, 0.618}, {0.618, 0.0, 1.0}, {-0.618, 0.0, 1.0}, {0.618, 0.0, -1.0}, {-0.618, 0.0, -1.0}, {-1.0, 0.618, 0.0}, {-1.0, , 0.0} }; int icosoFacets[] = { 0, 6, 2, 2, 6, 3, 3, 6, 5, 5, 6, 7, 0, 7, 6, 2, 3, 8, 2, 8, 1, 0, 2, 1, 0, 1, 10, 10, 1, 9, 1, 8, 9, 3, 4, 8, 4, 3, 5, 4, 5, 11, 7, 10, 11, 7, 0, 10, 4, 11, 9, 8, 4, 9, 5, 7, 11, 11, 10, 9, };Magic!Magic!

QUT Student Work – Elvis Lives!

Getting Excited My continuing story… Twenty years of teaching Computer Graphics Related Research Graphics Rendering, Visualisation, Virtual Worlds Teach Real-time Rendering in QUT Games Degree Driven by love of programming

Software Engineering An interesting time to be in ICT Information technology taken a hiding Not many pure Faculties of IT left… ICT Industry still has some demand allowing for GFC Games Industry has suffered too

ICT Image Problems?

Maths, Science and Engineering Similar issues. Similar answers? Professors demoing Bernoulli effect with Vacuum Cleaner Spent the next three years doing Maths questions “Dry” comes to mind “Necessary” also comes to mind

Myth Busters – Cool Geeks!

Kant and the Sublime

Kant and Computer Graphics Teaching Computer Graphics is a little easier than some IT areas…like SQL or COBOL Visual beauty is a powerful driver Is an algorithm an opening to the experience of Sublime and/or Beauty?

MC Escher Thought So

Maybe Picasso Too

Scientists See Algorithms in Beauty

Honest Greek

Software as Art? Graphics Software has an element of Art Art generated from mathematical systems I tell my students that their job is Create an enjoyable emotional response in a game Because Maths is tough and needs motivation

The Point?!?!?! Getting students excited Requires us to be excited Because motivation is about human communication Transmitted by what we call language – spoken and non-spoken I still think teaching is about pointing to higher sublime things in life

Many Leaders Understand

Some Thoughts Despite my lack of real pedagogical training I am a Lecturer after all Major part is to remove those things that demotivate students and staff We need to be aware of too much process Don’t be afraid of communicating passion

Lecture or Connect? Most of my work is performed after the lectures and tutorials talking shop Knowledge earns respect Respect earns respect My students study this in their own time It is said “When the student is ready…” Can also be said “When the teacher is ready…”

High Goals to Operational Methods How do I get myself ready? Nothing beats a good organised devoted teacher Give students something challenging to do Make it as fun as possible

Programmes at QUT MS Games and Graphics MS Xbox Laboratory Bachelor of Games

MS Games and Graphics Microsoft Kindly funded the development of a Direct3D HLSL Shader Course for Advance Games Graphics Teach the latest techniques in GPU shader programming Give them software and demos to create folio pieces for game job applications Dovetails neatly with previous units theory and practice

Eye Candy Helps

YouTube Channel – to Show Off

Xbox Programme Have been supported by MS Research Beijing in setting up an Xbox laboratory Student exposure to different hardware than PC Gives them a feel for console development – XNA Part of a new Studio for Games and Interaction Design for our Games Students -

Games Degree Initiatives As much industry contact as possible Guest Lectures Industry Panels for projects Competitions Game On 48 hour challenges - IGDA Prizes – Games go down a treat Imagine Cup and ACM Competitions Many degree options Programming, animation, design to business, marketing – five Faculties involved

Back to the Basics Academics must lead from the front Passion proceeds from us to our students Games are interesting But we must be interesting as well

© 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. Required Slide