A First Look at the Year in Computing

In this paper, we discuss students’ expectations and experiences in the first term of the Year in Computing, a new programme for non-computing majors at the University of Kent, a public research university in the UK. We focus on the effect of students’ home discipline on their experiences in the programme and situate this work within the context of wider efforts to make the study of computing accessible to a broader range of students

Motivating Students Through Positive Learning Experiences: A Comparison of Three Learning Designs for Computer Programming Courses

Based on the assumption that wellbeing influences learning, the aim of this paper is to provide insight  into students’ emotional responses to different learning designs. By comparing three different learning designs their respective influence on students’ feelings about and motivation for learning is discussed.This experimental, controlled comparison study was conducted in an introductory computer programming course. The three learning designs were: 1. A classical teacher-lead course; 2. A problem based learning (PBL) course; and 3. A PBL course combined with the use of LEGO Mindstorms Robots.Three different studies were used for data collection: 1. A questionnaire survey with 229 students from groups exposed to the three different learning designs; 2. Six qualitative walk-alongs collecting data from these groups by informal interviews and observations; 3. Class room observations. Findings from the three studies were discussed in three focus group interviews with 10 students from each learning design.The research was conducted among first year students in Computer Science at the Informatics School, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica.

The Effectiveness of Using Lego Mindstorms Robotics Activities to Influence Self-regulated Learning in a University Introductory Computer Programming Course.

The research described in this dissertation examines the possible link between self-regulated learning and LEGO Mindstorms robotics activities in teaching concepts in an introductory university computer programming course. The areas of student motivation, learning strategies, and mastery of course objectives are investigated. In all three cases analysis failed to reveal any statistically significant differences between the traditional control group and the experimental LEGO Mindstorms group as measured by the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and course exams. Possible reasons for the lack of positive results include technical problems and limitations of the LEGO Mindstorms systems, limited number and availability of robots outside of class, limited amount of time during the semester for the robotics activities, and a possible difference in effectiveness based on gender. Responses to student follow-up questions, however, suggest that at least some of the students really enjoyed the LEGO activities. As with any teaching tool or activity, there are numerous ways in which LEGO Mindstorms can be incorporated into learning. This study explores whether or not LEGO Mindstorms are an effective tool for teaching introductory computer programming at the university level and how these systems can best be utilized

Learning Programming Through Robots: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Effects of Educational Robotics on Programming Comprehension and Motivation of Preservice Teachers

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the effect educational robotics have on the programming comprehension and motivation of preservice teachers. Computer science is increasingly being integrated into K-8 curricula across the country. However, there are few teachers trained to teach basic computer science concepts. Core subject teachers are being asked to shoulder the load of integrating computer science concepts into their instruction. Educational robotics have gained attention for their potential to aid users with comprehension and motivation while learning to program. This convergent parallel mixed methods research thus investigated (1) the effect of educational robotics on preservice teachers’ comprehension of programming concepts, and (2) how and to what extent that educational robotics influence preservice teachers\u27 motivation related to programming. This study utilized educational robotics to teach preservice teachers (N = 18) programming. Data were obtained through a pretest/posttest Programming Comprehension Assessment, a pre/post Programming Motivation Survey, individual interviews, and field notes. Paired sample t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests, and inductive analysis were used to analyze the data. Quantitative data exhibited significant score increases from pretest to posttest, and significant motivation increases from pre-survey to post-survey. Qualitative data revealed five themes; (1) participants perceived that a problem-based robotics curriculum improved their intrinsic motivation toward programming, (2) participants agreed that knowing programming as a skill had advantages as a teacher, (3) participants experienced self-determination toward programming in the face of robotics challenges, (4) participants perceived that the gradually increasing level of difficulty in the robotics curriculum improved their self-efficacy about programming from initially low levels, and (5) participants perceived programming as a viable fit in their future classrooms. The findings of this study indicate that preservice teachers’ comprehension of programming concepts and motivation related to programming can be improved through educational robotics. This research has implications for informing preservice teacher educators integrating programming concepts into their instruction. Recommendations are provided for programming curriculum design

A CS0 course for the liberal arts

This paper describes a non-major introductory course in computer science, specifically for students at a liberal arts institution. College-wide writing and speaking requirements across the curriculum are supported through a variety of assignments. The computer science department has experienced many benefits as a result of offering this course, including improved performance by students in introduction to programming and greater enrollment numbers across departmental courses. Suggestions for improving future offerings of the class are also proposed in the paper. Copyright 2006 ACM