IMACS Online Courses

AP® Computer Science

AP® Computer Science: Java Programming is an introductory computer science course leading to the College Board's Advanced Placement Computer Science A exam. Over 3,000 students used eIMACS' APCS course this past school year!

The course can be completed in eight months, allowing students time to review for and take the AP® exam. Not only does the course cover all the contents required for the AP® exam, but it also contains optional sections covering more advanced topics.

Interspersed within a well-organized exposition are exercises to be completed using an embedded Java compiler, graded coding activities, eight labs, and graded tests.

Android App Development

AP® Computer Science: Java Programming includes an advanced tutorial that introduces students to the app development process, from setting up the integrated development environment (IDE) to programming a game app to running it on a mobile Android device. Important aspects of the larger development process are also covered, including an understanding of key technical terminology, how various components of the project code fit together, and how to implement modifications and updates.

The Android app tutorial is presented in a lab format, with students writing code online prior to integrating it into a project in their chosen IDE, and then following detailed guidelines to debug, modify, and improve the behavior of the resulting app. The section includes a number of online coding tasks and a single online test, all of which are autograded.

Labs

AP® Computer Science: Java Programming provides eight labs that exceed the College Board's requirement that students should spend at least 20 hours working in a Java integrated development environment (IDE). Each lab provides the starter code for a project to be imported into a suitable IDE — eIMACS supports the Eclipse and NetBeans IDEs, both of which are free to download and install. Students are guided to develop full-blown, working Java projects in their chosen IDE.

Lab titles: (1) Chatter, (2) Points and Rectangles, (3) Poker, (4) Inventory Tracking, (5) Turtle Geometry, (6) Image Processing, (7) Comparing Sorts, and (8) Elevens.

Procedures

Each student is assigned a principal IMACS instructor, and is given unlimited access to the curriculum during the registration period.

The principal instructor is available by phone or by email during regular business hours (US Eastern Time). Additionally, the principal instructor or other IMACS instructors are available via the online Help Desk, monitored seven days a week including evenings.

Students submit assignments and tests online. Scores for assignments and tests are accumulated into the student's online gradebook so that parents, students and instructors can monitor student progress.

Please note that IMACS does not order AP exams for students. Obtaining a copy of the actual AP exam must be arranged through your school or you can visit the College Board's website here for more information.