document: ` Virtual Family ' : an approach to introducing Java programming This paper introduces and discusses Virtual Family -LRB- VF -RRB- : a gender-neutral game-based software that introduces Java programming . VF provides a completely functioning game that students extend and enhance via programming . We discuss the background and context within which Virtual Family was developed and other available multimedia resources for teaching programming . The paper then goes on to describe Virtual Family 's concept and design . Finally , feedback received from Virtual Family teaching workshops is related , as well as preliminary results from using VF in high-school teaching units . Virtual Family is under development in a research lab at the University of British Columbia and is an initiative of Supporting Women in Information Technology -LRB- SWIFT -RRB- . SWIFT is a five-year research action and implementation project to increase the participation of women in information technology
doc_bio_tags: O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O B I B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B I I I I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O
extractive_keyphrases: virtual family multimedia resources teaching workshops supporting women in information technology
abstractive_keyphrases: gender-neutral game-based software java programming teaching high-school teaching units