bloombot — Matthew Francisco

Teaching

Teaching in Informatics

Taught at Luddy over twelve years — six courses that move from foundations to frontier: systems thinking, hands-on electronics, ethical reasoning, educational design, advanced fabrication, and emergent AI practice.

Foundation

Informatics
& Systems

›

Hands-On

Electronics
& Making

›

Values

Ethics
& Equity

›

Design

Ed Tech
& Learning

›

Advanced

Prototyping
& Fabrication

›

Frontier

LLMs in
Design

INFO-I 101

Introduction to Informatics

A hands-on introduction to informatics and computing — problem solving, information theory, web design, media computation, and a first look at programming. Designed to prepare students for deeper work across the Luddy School.

Networks Ethics Data Security Diversity

INFO-I 341

Interactive Electronics Prototyping

Build a physical digital agent for a person, animal, plant, or space. Students draw on the full ecosystem of hobby and professional electronics — tools, materials, tutorials, maker culture — to develop a working prototype and a creative vision for what it could become.

Electronics Physical Computing Prototyping

INFO-I 453

Computer and Information Ethics

Tools and practices for assessing the ethical and moral questions that emerge from computing and information systems. Students pick a real problem that technology has transformed or intensified — and spend the semester thinking rigorously about it.

Ethics Equity Policy

INFO-I 400

Explorations in Educational Technology

Design and test your own lesson plans for K–16 classrooms using programmable graphics, multiplayer virtual worlds, 3D modeling, physical computing, robotics, AI storytellers, and more. Educational technology as a site of computational thinking, political choice, and design practice.

Learning Design Simulation Ed Tech

INFO-I 549

Advanced Prototyping

An advanced design studio for building, staging, and testing interactive, physical, and robotic systems. Prototyping here is socio-technical thinking with materials — mock-ups, Wizard-of-Oz techniques, and staged scenarios that explore how technologies, people, environments, and values interact.

3D Design Fabrication Advanced

INFO-I 554

LLMs in Design Practice

Large language models as design material. How generative AI reshapes the practice of making, prototyping, and human-centered design — explored critically and hands-on.

AI LLMs Design Frontier

Teaching in Informatics

Educational Generators