The Impact of a 3D Visual Programming Tool on Students' Performance and Attitude in Computer Programming

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Al-Tahat
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Visual Programming ◽  
Object Oriented Programming ◽  
Programming Tool ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Learning Programming ◽  
Introductory Computer Programming ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Introductory Programming Courses

Learning programming can be challenging, particularly object-oriented programming (OOP). However, using visualization could be useful in enhancing students' learning OOP concepts. In this study, the impact of using a 3D visual programming tool – Alice 2 – on student performance and attitude was explored in an introductory computer programming course using Java. Research participants were undergraduate computing students at Arab Open University – Jordan branch. Quasi-experimental design was adopted in this research, where two groups of students were chosen. The findings of this research showed that using Alice has positively impacted on students' performance and attitude towards computer programming and learning OOP concepts. The study suggests the incorporation of Alice in teaching introductory programming courses.

scholarly journals Helping to realize “computer science for all”: Student outcomes of self-pacing in introductory programming courses

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Lester
Keyword(s):  
Computer Science ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Classroom Observations ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Introductory Programming ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Introductory Programming Courses ◽  
Programming Courses

Sparked by a series of national campaigns to increase interest in computer science, computer science departments are inundated with students who are interested in learning how to program. Despite the interest, introductory computer science course have relatively low completion rates (approximately 55% at Mason) and high rates of academic integrity violations. In response to this environment, the Computer Science department at Mason received an external grant to redesign their introductory programming courses to a self-paced, flipped format. Implementation began in Fall 2015 with a quasi-experimental methodology that tracks students from an experimental course and a control group (those who took more traditional introductory CS courses) over the course of the semester. Data collected includes grades on assignments, self-report surveys, and classroom observations.  The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a self-paced, flipped curricular design in an introductory experiential computer science course on the immediate (in course) completion.   In this short lightning talk, we will present data from student surveys and classroom observations identifying any difference across the control and experimental groups. Preliminary results identify a significant increase in student completion upwards of a 20% difference across the groups. In addition to increasing knowledge of the impact of self-paced courses on student retention and success in computer science, we offer an alternative method to collect data on classroom observations via the Real-time Observation Classroom Application (ROCA). ROCA allows for efficient data collection and comparison of specific pedagogies to student engagement measures.  

How Does Early Feedback in an Online Programming Course Change Problem Solving?

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Ebrahimi
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Object Oriented Programming ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Teaching Online ◽  
Hourly Rate ◽  
The Right ◽  
Learning Programming ◽  
Introductory Programming Courses

How does early feedback change the programming problem solving in an online environment and help students choose correct approaches? This study was conducted in a sample of students learning programming in an online course entitled Introduction to C++ and OOP (Object Oriented Programming) using the ANGEL learning management system platform. My overall observations on teaching online introductory programming courses for 7 years (2005–2012) convinced me that online students try various ways to solve a problem. I found that some of the students' problem solving approaches generated the correct output but are not straightforward and thus difficult to understand. However, some of the solutions were innovative, challenging, and unique but gave an early impression that they were wrong (before a little investigation). The students apparently used trial-and-error in conjunction with their own logic to get to the correct output. The lack of communication and weak dissemination of information between instructor and students have caused a major problem in selecting a right problem solving approach. In this study, three problem sets are taken from the course text and are discussed in module 1 and module 2 of the term. The problems were to compute the salary of an employee with a given input such as number of hours worked and the hourly rate. In order to learn progressively, students were asked to program an employee's gross pay, net pay with a fixed tax rate, net pay with a variable tax rate, marital status, and overtime pay. The course communication was mainly through discussion boards between students and instructor, e-mails, instructor announcements, and the area where the assignment was to be submitted. In addition, students could call the instructor's cell phone to seek assistance in clarifying programming problems. The present study will show the effectiveness of early feedback in helping students to develop the right programs. Early and consistent feedback to students increases the awareness of potential errors and avoidance of having students choose a wrong path. However, there was an undesirable side effect in giving early feedback which resulted in limiting possible student-innovation. Early feedback seems to have inhibited the creativity of innovative students and thus to have skewed such students radically toward the classroom main stream.

scholarly journals Brick and Mortar Education vs. SCORM-based Education in Computer-programming Courses: A Comparative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mohammed Abu Shquier
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Programming Languages ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Programming Courses

Online education has positively influences student performance during universities lockdown nowadays due to COVID-19, in fact both educators and students have proven their ability to develop their teaching skills by emerging several technological tools. This article analyses the performance of two cohorts of students, the first cohort was taught traditionally while the other was taught online, the scope of this study is the students enrolled in programming languages at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at Jerash University, the study was carried out between the years 2017 - 2020. 1210 students have participated in the study. This study investigates a comparative study between different methods of delivering programming-languages courses over the 3-year period, the study also aims to shed light on the impact of traditional methods on delivering computer-programming courses and how it could be improved by emerging a SCORM learning multimedia and other learning modules, activities and resources. Result shows that online delivering of courses with the use of SCORM and other tools improves students’ scores and performance slightly, the article concludes that emerging technology to learning can improve the students' creativity, understanding and performance overall.

Metacognitive Instruction in Introductory Computer Programming: A Better Explanatory Construct for Performance than Traditional Factors

1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Volet ◽  
C. P. Lund
Keyword(s):  
Computer Programming ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Program Planning ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Metacognitive Strategy ◽  
Interactive Teaching ◽  
Planning Strategy ◽  
Metacognitive Instruction ◽  
Introductory Computer Programming ◽  
The Impact

This article examines the effect of metacognitive instruction on students' achievement in introductory programming courses over traditional predictors of performance. Metacognitive instruction was conceptualized as a package, aimed at inducing students to develop a metacognitive strategy relevant for computer programming via interactive teaching. The metacognitive strategy consisted of a five-step planning strategy to guide students' program planning process. The interactive teaching approach involved explicit modeling, coaching and collaborative learning. An experimental field study conducted with twenty-eight experimental and twenty-eight matched control students revealed that metacognitive instruction is a better explanatory construct for students' computing performance than traditional person variables such as background knowledge, program major, gender or age. The impact of metacognitive instruction on the learning processes and outcomes of students with different personal characteristics was systematically examined.

scholarly journals Active Learning for Classroom Management Model

10.28945/3238 ◽  
2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Whittington ◽  
Michael Yacci
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Classroom Management ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Limited Support ◽  
In Series ◽  
Introductory Computer Programming

This paper proposes the Active Learning for Classroom Management Model as a method to structure active learning experiences. The model was devised and tested in an Introductory Computer Programming course. Stages in the model are explained with examples of classroom activities. The model was evaluated twice in series of quasi-experiments and limited support was provided for improved student performance through the use of the model.

scholarly journals Increasing Student Retention and Satisfaction in IT Introductory Programming Courses using Active Learning

10.28945/3003 ◽  
2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Whittington
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Teaching Techniques ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
National Science ◽  
Introductory Computer Programming ◽  
Introductory Programming Courses ◽  
Programming Courses

The emerging field of Information Technology is one of several fields that require students to leam computer programming. A large proportion of the students were having difficulty getting through the programming sequence and ultimately changed majors or dropped out of college. To deal with this problem, curricular reforms were implemented and active learning techniques were added to the classroom. The outcome of which was increased student retention, grades, and overall satisfaction. As a result of these encouraging results, an NSF CCLI grant was awarded to formally compare teaching techniques and to create active learning activities specifically designed for introductory computer programming courses. This paper discusses the preliminary work and results that led to the grant award and also summarizes the work that is currently underway. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. DUE-0442987.

Forming Groups for Collaborative Learning of Introductory Computer Programming Based on Students’ Programming Skills and Learning Styles

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 34-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel Adán-Coello ◽  
Carlos Miguel Tobar ◽  
Eustáquio São José de Faria ◽  
Wiris Serafim de Menezes ◽  
Ricardo Luís de Freitas
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Cognitive Conflict ◽  
The Social ◽  
Grouping Students ◽  
Introductory Computer Programming ◽  
Introductory Programming Courses

Collaborative learning is pointed out as an effective approach to reduce apprentices’ difficulties that arise during the effort to learn computer programming. In a collaborative learning process, the formation of groups is a fundamental activity and one of the most complex, because grouping students randomly is ineffective in obtaining real collaboration. PQAS and GroupOrganizer were developed to address the lack of tools that support group formation in the context of collaborative learning of computer programming. These tools form groups based on the theories of socio-cognitive conflict and learning styles. In order to stimulate the social-cognitive conflict, PQAS groups students with significant differences in programming style. GroupOrganizer extends PQAS and forms groups also considering students’ learning styles. Two experiments involving students taking introductory programming courses provide evidences that the adopted approaches contribute to increase students’ learning both in terms of programming style and workgroup skills.

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