Computational thinking through programming and algorithmic art

General education students can be taught computational thinking skills through courses that marry computer programming with algorithmic art. Algorithmic art is a varied and growing field where images are generated on the computer using mathematical and computer algorithms (see http://processing.org/exhibition/index.html for examples). Visually oriented students may be motivated to learn programming when it is taught in a context that is as much focused on art, artists, and design principles as it is on mathematics and programming. This presentation will include 1) a discussion of the challenges of teaching programming, 2) the role of teaching style, motivation, and programming environment, 3) a summary of common algorithms and their relation to design principles, and 4) examples of artwork that has been created by current artists.