CREATIVE CODING
A hands-on approach to learn math
The technology you learn today might become obsolete tomorrow. Hence, it is important to learn principles instead of just a certain programming language.
The principles we teach in Creative Coding are the timeless mathematics that made computer graphics possible. Students nowadays are already mesmerized by the stunning visuals in their games or on their screens. Teaching computer graphics is a great way to motivate them to develop a deeper passion for the math.
We do not teach built-in commands where students simply type something like "circle" and a circle magically appears on the screen. Instead, we teach students how to write mathematical functions to program the colour of the every pixel on the screen.
Such programs are called shaders and they run on the GPU (graphics card).
For example, to create a circle, our students will program the logic that decides which pixels are part of the circle and color them differently from the background. Doing this requires the use of the Pythagoras Theorem.
The more math concepts they learn, the more tools they unlock to create their artwork. For example, they can use dot product to draw lines, graph transformations to create figures, trigonometry to turn their artwork from 2D to 3D, and gradient vector to add shadows, etc.
Most of these concepts are part of the H2 Math syllabus in A-levels.
We go beyond rote memorization and encourage students to truly understand what they are learning. The process of visualizing mathematical concepts through computer graphics brings abstract ideas to life and makes them more memorable and relatable.