RunRev Works to Increase Programming Opportunities in the Classroom through Open Source Version of LiveCode

Edinburgh, UK (PRWEB UK) 30 January 2013

It has been well documented that the decline in computer science education in our schools has resulted in a shortage of skilled programmers and developers around the world. With more than 150,000 U.S. computer science jobs projected annually through 2020, only 40,000 graduates with degrees in the field are entering the workforce every year. RunRev announced today the first Kickstarter campaign to create an open source programming language with the goal of giving everyone the ability to code.

The LiveCode cross-platform development environment is already used by thousands of educators and students to teach and learn programming the easy way. Students as young as 12 are using the platform to create mobile and desktop apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and Server -- all at once, from the single LiveCode code base. LiveCode has been credited with doubling uptake for computer science courses in schools around the world. With an open source edition available at no cost, RunRev hopes to further support educators in readying students for the explosion in software and development opportunities -- with 150,000 new jobs in computing expected each year through 2020.

Steven Whyte, computer science teacher at Gracemount High School, said, "Coding shouldn’t be a scary thing; it’s about getting students interested early on. When LiveCode came along, I was surprised by how easy it was to do that. The exciting thing is mobile app development, where students can put what they created on the computer onto their mobile devices. It’s so easy to do and students just can’t believe they’re creating their own apps. Since using LiveCode, we’ve seen a huge increase in the uptake in students wanting to take computing."

The Alarming State of Computer Science Education

The reasons for encouraging open source programming environments are clear:

• Disparity in Computer Science Jobs and Degrees: Federal forecasts estimate 150,000 computing jobs available each year through 2020, but the number of computer science degrees earned has fallen to 40,000 per year.(1)
• Decline in Computer Science Coursework: Only 2,100 high schools in the U.S. now offer AP coursework in computer science, from more than 42,000 public and private high schools nationwide—a decline of 25% in just the last five years.
• Computer Science is the Only STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering- Mathematics) Field in Decline: In 2010, only 14,000 students took the AP computer science test, compared to 195,000 taking the AP calculus test and 110,000 taking AP statistics.(2) Yet 80% of all STEM jobs are projected to be in computer science and engineering.(3)

RunRev CEO Kevin Miller said, "Countless researchers have studied the downward trend in computer science education over the past 10 years, but the question remains, what are we going to do to turn this around? With LiveCode moving to open source, we’re contributing to STEM computer science education, taking the complexity out of coding for high school students and removing financial barriers to learning. We commend organizations like The Khan Academy, Code.org, Microsoft and Google that also recognize the importance of introducing high school students -- and younger -- to programming. LiveCode is used in schools because it’s so easy to learn. That’s where we need to start."

LiveCode open source is ideally suited for learning and teaching computer programming and logical thinking, as well as creating and distributing open source apps, games and utilities. More information on the movement to take LiveCode open source is online here.

About RunRev Ltd.

RunRev makes the LiveCode cross-platform development environment for building sophisticated mobile, Web, desktop and server applications. The company aims to open doors with technology by empowering people to create apps through an intuitive and easy-to-learn programming language. The LiveCode English-like language and focus on instant results appeals to a wide range of users, from individuals and educators to corporate and enterprise developers. Considered a modern descendent of HyperCard, LiveCode offers a robust yet flexible path to cross-platform app creation. For more information, please visit http://www.runrev.com.

(1) National Center for Education Statistics
(2) College Board
(3) Bureau of Labor Statistics