Taught by Ms. Collins, Software Design is designed to allow students to experience how a real world computer application comes to life. Students work together to complete a large programming project of their choosing by the end of the semester. Students learn how to code in a group (So that's why I've been made to comment my code for all these years! So that's why my code has to be in modular, understandable form!) and delegate responsibility amongst themselves to get the program functional.

Students must have taken Computer Graphics to take Software Design, as the course continues to use the Java skills that were taught in Graphics. After a review of object-oriented program design, students learn new topics in Java, including more advanced Java GUI techniques, image and sound manipulation, file I/O, and networking issues. Then the project design begins! Students select a group, and work on a proposal for their software. The programs basic design and algorithms are presented, and then the coding begins. After many weeks of implementation, and, hopefully, success, the students must complete an online help file, present their work to the class, and create webpages showcasing their work.

Other topics covered in the class include discussions on computer ethics, user interface design, software engineering issues, current computer-related events, and the history of computer science.

We hope to link to some of the best webpages of projects past shortly...stay tuned.