Anita Comp Sci-Borg

Website Interface

Inspiration

We wanted to create a game that introduced the idea of basic commands from computer science to young students, while using easy instructions and simplistic graphics to hold their attention.

What it does

We designed a maze game, complete with a prompt for the player to enter their name and objects for them to pick up in order to progress to the next level. We also coded a website that is currently being hosted on GitHub. The website features links to biographies about important women in computer science, including Ada Lovelace, Carol Shaw, and Anita Borg. Our intended audience is elementary and middle school students, specifically females, in order to cultivate an early interest in computer science while showcasing successful females in STEM fields. You can download the game using the "click here to play!" link.

How we built it

We built the game using Greenfoot and the Java programming language. We built the website using the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript languages with the Sublime text editor.

Challenges we ran into

We were not able to use the maze as a confined boundary; we couldn't create some of the details needed to focus the game on its original plot; and we struggled in finding a suitable environment for development, as we were inexperienced. We also had countless bugs in the code for both the website and the game.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We all had a similar vision for the game and website. Despite this being our first hackathon and not all knowing each other beforehand, the team was cooperative and understanding, and we all supported each other, giving assistance when needed. We all learned a lot about various methods of coding, mostly through our mistakes, and computer science related technologies.

What we learned

We learned how to make a game using Greenfoot and how to code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We also learned how to host a website on GitHub. We also learned how to work together on a project that required planning and good time management.

What's next for Anita Comp Sci-Borg

In the future, we would implement a way to create confined boundaries for the character in game. We would also add sprites of female CS role models in the game to better relate to the plot of the game and its purpose.