Events Calendar

Program Analysis for Block-Based Learners Programs

Speaker: Prof. Gordon Fraser, PhD, Computer Science Professor - University of Passau, Germany

Talk Title: Program Analysis for Block-Based Learners Programs

Abstract: Programming is increasingly taught using dedicated block-based programming environments such as Scratch. While the use of blocks instead of text prevents syntax errors, learners can still make semantic mistakes implying a need for feedback and help. While professional programmers receive this support from efficient program analyses built into their IDEs, block-based programming environments offer no such support. In this talk I will describe some of our efforts to remedy this issue, ranging from static source code linting, search-based testing, interrogative debugging, automated program repair, to neural program analysis. The colourful and small nature of learners’ programs is deceiving, as the game-like, highly concurrent and event-driven nature of the programs poses unique challenges for these analyses.
 
This lecture satisfies the requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.
 
IN-PERSON LECTURE ONLY

Biography: Gordon Fraser is a full professor in Computer Science at the University of Passau, Germany. He received a PhD in computer science from Graz University of Technology, Austria, in 2007, worked as a post-doc at Saarland University, and was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, UK. The central theme of his research is improving software quality, and his recent research concerns the prevention, detection, and removal of defects in software. 

Host: Prof. William GJ Halfond, PhD

Location: Corwin D. Denney Research Center (DRB) - 146

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science