Introducing programming through acoustics and audio at Belmont University

A course in computer programming has been offered within the department of Audio Engineering Technology at Belmont University to provide an introduction to audio and physics students interested in learning about programming. This course is based on a foundation of acoustics and audio concepts, without requiring previous programming experience. The pedagogical approach has been to expose students to the application of programming within their discipline of interest as a motivation for further exploration. Topics in the course introduce programming concepts for specific signal processing methods. Programming concepts include: variables, operators, data types, as well as basic control structures like loops, conditional statements and functions. While learning programming concepts, students perform various signal processing methods such as: changing a signal’s amplitude, signal synthesis, stereo panning functions, mid-side processing, amplitude fades, amplitude modulation, soft/hard clipping, rectification, bit reduction, echo effects, convolution, algorithmic reverberation, expander/compressor dynamic-range processing, and various spectral filters. Course lessons for a “flipped classroom” are freely and publically available at http://www.hackaudio.com/. Since the initial offering of this course, the number of students in the audio engineering program who double-major or minor in computer science has quadrupled.