PhysiCode Builder: A Framework for Rapid Prototyping of Tangible Programming Toolkits
Tangible programming—where learners physically manipulate blocks to construct programs—provides intuitive, hands-on programming experiences for novice learners. However, existing materials are fixed to specific language specifications, making it difficult for educators to customize them according to their learning objectives. This paper proposes PhysiCode Builder, a framework for automatically generating customizable tangible programming materials. Our approach applies module-based language construction to the domain of tangible materials through a clear separation of roles: Configuration Developers define language specifications (requiring basic technical knowledge), while Material Creators—typically classroom educators—select from predefined configurations to generate materials without programming or 3D modeling expertise. The framework employs a feature model derived from analyzing existing tangible user interface (TUI) materials and separates abstract syntax (programming concepts) from concrete syntax (physical block representations) through a paradigm-agnostic metamodel design. In the proposed workflow, Material Creators would select desired feature modules through a configuration interface, and the core synthesis engine generates corresponding 3D printable block models and camera-based recognition software using TopCodes. A technical walkthrough demonstrates that material generation, previously requiring weeks of expert collaboration, can potentially be completed in minutes once appropriate module configurations are available. This approach aims to enable rapid prototyping and exploration of tangible programming experiences for diverse educational contexts.
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13:30 30mTalk | Literate Exploratory Programming for Asynchronous Collaboration PX/26 Christoph Thiede Hasso Plattner Institute, University of Potsdam, Germany, Tom Beckmann Hasso Plattner Institute, Marcel Taeumel University of Potsdam; Hasso Plattner Institute, Robert Hirschfeld Hasso Plattner Institute; University of Potsdam Link to publication DOI Media Attached | ||
14:00 30mTalk | PhysiCode Builder: A Framework for Rapid Prototyping of Tangible Programming Toolkits PX/26 Link to publication DOI | ||
14:30 30mTalk | TreeMatchLib: Expressive Tree Patterns for Effortless Node Capture and Reconnection PX/26 Nobuhiko Ogura Tokyo City University, Takuto Tanabe Tokyo City University, Harumi Watanabe Tokai University | ||