A Study of Pair Programming Enjoyment and Attendance using Study Motivation and Strategy Metrics

We explore educational pair programming in a university context with high student autonomy and individual responsibility. The data comes from two separate introductory programming courses with optional pair programming assignments. We analyze lab attendance and course outcomes to determine whether students' previous programming experience or gender influence attendance. We further compare these statistics to self-reported data on study motivation, study strategies, and student enjoyment of pair programming. The influence of grading systems on pair programming behavior and course outcomes is also examined. Our results suggest that gender and previous programming experience correlate with participation in pair programming labs. At the same time, there are no significant differences in self-reported enjoyment of pair programming between any of the groups, and the results from commonly used study motivation and strategy questionnaires provide little insight into students/ actual behavior.Peer reviewe

Tavoiteorientaatioprofiilit ja suoriutuminen ohjelmoinnin MOOC-kurssilla

Tavoitteet. Valtaosa tietojenkäsittelytieteen kontekstissa tehdystä tavoiteorientaatiotutkimuksesta on ollut muuttujalähtöistä. Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena oli syventää ymmärrystä tietojenkäsittelytieteen opiskelijoista ja saavutusmotivaatiosta henkilösuuntautunutta lähestymistapaa käyttäen. Eri tavoiteorientaatioiden välistä vuorovaikutusta tarkasteltiin tunnistamalla yleisimmät tavoiteorientaatioprofiilit ja tutkimalla niiden välisiä eroja suoriutumisessa. Toisin kuin aiemmissa henkilösuuntautunutta lähestymistapaa hyödyntävissä tutkimuksissa, ryhmittely-muuttujina käytettiin oppimisorientaation lisäksi suoritusorientaatiota jaoteltuna tarkemmin tavoitteisiin päihittää toiset (normative goal) ja vaikuttaa pätevältä (appearance goal). Menetelmät. Tutkimukseen osallistui 2059 avoimen internet-pohjaisen ohjelmoinnin alkeiskurssin opiskelijaa. Aineisto kerättiin kyselylomakkeella, automaattisesti arvioiduista ohjelmointitehtävistä ja loppukokeesta. Tavoiteorientaatiomittarin rakennetta tarkasteltiin eksploratiivisella faktorianalyysillä (EFA). Opiskelijat luokiteltiin ryhmiin tavoiteorientaatioiden perusteella TwoStep-klusterianalyysia käyttäen. Profiilien ominaispiirteitä ja eroja suoriutumisessa tutkittiin ristiintaulukointien ja varianssianalyysien (ANOVA) avulla. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset. Tavoiteorientaatioprofiileja tunnistettiin viisi: Saavutusorientoituneet (31,2%), Suoritusorientoituneet (18,9%), Oppimis- ja suoritusorientoituneet (18,0%), Vähäisesti motivoituneet (17,6%) ja Oppimisorientoituneet (14,3%). Oppimis- ja suoritusorientoituneiden opiskelijoiden suoriutuminen oli kahden mittarin osalta tilastollisesti merkitsevästi parempaa kuin Vähäisesti motivoituneiden opiskelijoiden. Aiempien tutkimusten tapaan tuloksissa korostuu useampaan tavoitteeseen pyrkimisen ja suoriutumisen välinen positiivinen yhteys. Lisää tutkimusta tarvitaan tavoiteorientaatioprofiilien ja muiden koulutukseen liittyvien tulosten yhteyksien selvittämiseen ohjelmoinnin opetuksen kontekstissa. Tämänkaltaista tietoa voidaan hyödyntää uusia oppimisinterventioita ja kursseja suunniteltaessa. Tähän tutkielmaan perustuva artikkeli ‘Achievement Goal Orientation Profiles and Performance in a Programming MOOC’ tullaan esittelemään ITiCSE 2020 -konferenssissa ja julkaisemaan konferenssijulkaisussa.Aims. In the context of computing education, the vast majority of prior research examining achievement goal orientations has been conducted using variable-centred methods. In order to deepen understanding of the student population and achievement motivation, this Master’s Thesis employed person-oriented perspectives. The interplay of different goal orientations was explored by identifying prevalent motivational profiles and investigating profile differences in performance. Normative and appearance performance goals were handled as separate clustering variables in addition to mastery goals for the first time. Methods. The participants were 2059 introductory programming MOOC students. Data were collected by a questionnaire and from automatically assessed programming assignments and final exam. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted for the achievement goal orientation items to examine the factor structure. Using TwoStep cluster analysis, the students were classified into clusters according to their achievement goal orientations. Cross tabulations and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to investigate profile characteristics and differences in performance. Results and Conclusions. Five distinct achievement goal orientation profiles were identified: Approach-Oriented (31.2%), Performance-Oriented (18.9%), Combined Mastery and Performance Goals (18.0%), Low Goals (17.6.%) and Mastery-Oriented (14.3.%). Students with Combined Mastery and Performance Goals performed significantly better than students with Low Goals regarding two metrics. Consistent with previous findings, the results highlight the positive link between multiple goal pursuit and performance. Further studies are needed to investigate motivational profiles in relation to other educational outcomes in the context of computing education. This kind of knowledge is valuable for designing interventions and new courses. The article ‘Achievement Goal Orientation Profiles and Performance in a Programming MOOC’, which is based on the present thesis, will be presented at ITiCSE 2020 (Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education) conference and published in conference proceedings

Identification and Evaluation of Predictors for Learning Success and of Models for Teaching Computer Programming in Contemporary Contexts

Introductory undergraduate computer programming courses are renowned for higher than average failure and withdrawal rates when compared to other subject areas. The closer partnership between higher education and the rapidly expanding digital technology industry, as demonstrated by the establishment of new Degree Apprenticeships in computer science and digital technologies, requires efficient and effective means for teaching programming skills. This research, therefore, aimed to identify reliable predictors of success in learning programming or vulnerability to failure. The research also aimed to evaluate teaching methods and remedial interventions towards recommending a teaching model that supported and engaged learners in contemporary contexts that were relevant to the workplace. Investigation of qualifications designed to prepare students for undergraduate computer science courses revealed that A-level entrants achieved significantly higher programming grades than BTEC students. However, there was little difference between the grades of those with and those without previous qualifications in computing or ICT subjects. Analysis of engagement metrics revealed a strong correlation between extent of co-operation and programming grade, in contrast to a weak correlation between programming grade and code understanding. Further analysis of video recordings, interviews and observational records distinguished between the type of communication that helped peers comprehend tasks and concepts, and other forms of communication that were only concerned with completing tasks. Following the introduction of periodic assessment, essentially converting a single final assessment to three staged summative assessment points, it was found that failing students often pass only one of the three assignment parts. Furthermore, only 10% of those who failed overall had attempted all three assignments. Reasons for failure were attributed to ‘surface’ motivations (such as regulating efforts to achieve a minimum pass of 40%), ineffective working habits or stressful personal circumstances rather than any fundamental difficulty encountered with subject material. A key contribution to pedagogical practice made by this research is to propose an ‘incremental’ teaching model. This model is informed by educational theory and empirical evidence and comprises short cycles of three activities: presenting new topic information, tasking students with a relevant exercise and then demonstrating and discussing the exercise solution. The effectiveness of this model is evidenced by increased engagement, increased quiz scores at the end of each teaching session and increased retention of code knowledge at the end of the course

Achievement goal orientation profiles and performance in a programming MOOC

It has been suggested that performance goals focused on appearing talented (appearance goals) and those focused on outperforming others (normative goals) have different consequences, for example, regarding performance. Accordingly, applying this distinction into appearance and normative goals alongside mastery goals, this study explores what kinds of achievement goal orientation profiles are identified among over 2000 students participating in an introductory programming MOOC. Using Two-Step cluster analysis, five distinct motivational profiles are identified. Course performance and demographics of students with different goal orientation profiles are mostly similar. Students with Combined Mastery and Performance Goals perform slightly better than students with Low Goals. The observations are largely in line with previous studies conducted in different contexts. The differentiation of appearance and normative performance goals seemed to yield meaningful motivational profiles, but further studies are needed to establish their relevance and investigate whether this information can be used to improve teaching.Peer reviewe

What Do We Think We Think We Are Doing?: Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Programming

Metacognition and self-regulation are popular areas of interest in programming education, and they have been extensively researched outside of computing. While computing education researchers should draw upon this prior work, programming education is unique enough that we should explore the extent to which prior work applies to our context. The goal of this systematic review is to support research on metacognition and self-regulation in programming education by synthesizing relevant theories, measurements, and prior work on these topics. By reviewing papers that mention metacognition or self-regulation in the context of programming, we aim to provide a benchmark of our current progress towards understanding these topics and recommendations for future research. In our results, we discuss eight common theories that are widely used outside of computing education research, half of which are commonly used in computing education research. We also highlight 11 theories on related constructs (e.g., self-efficacy) that have been used successfully to understand programming education. Towards measuring metacognition and self-regulation in learners, we discuss seven instruments and protocols that have been used and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. To benchmark the current state of research, we examined papers that primarily studied metacognition and self-regulation in programming education and synthesize the reported interventions used and results from that research. While the primary intended contribution of this paper is to support research, readers will also learn about developing and supporting metacognition and self-regulation of students in programming courses

FEASIBIITY AND EFFICACY OF A MOVEMENT-TRAINING PROGRAM ON PHYSICAL FITNESS, FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS

Recent initiatives have focused on exploring the relationship between fitness, fundamental movement skills, psychosocial mediators, and physical activity in children to help design better interventions to improve these behaviors. FUNdamental Integrative Training (FIT) is an approach to physical education that uses age-appropriate exercises to improve physical fitness in youth, with the longer-term goal to physically prepare children for an active lifestyle beyond childhood. We evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of a 12-week, FIT program on physical fitness, fundamental movement skills, psychosocial mediators (self-efficacy, enjoyment and social support), and physical activity, among third and fourth grade students. Seven classrooms in one school were randomly assigned to the intervention (4; INT) or control (3; CON) group. The INT group received a 12-week, teacher-led FIT intervention during the first 15 minutes of their physical education class and an additional session once per week during the before school time period. The CON group continued participating in their regular physical education program. Process evaluation data were collected throughout the 12 weeks to assess feasibility of delivering the intervention. Preliminary efficacy was measured at three time points to assess changes in fitness, fundamental movement skills, psychosocial mediators, and physical activity. Overall, the intervention was enjoyable for the participants and well-accepted by the teacher. However, there were minimal improvements seen in fitness, fundamental movements skills, and physical activity. The results from this study can be used to improve the feasibility and potential efficacy of future interventions seeking to improve fitness, movement skills, psychosocial variables, and physical activity in third and fourth grade students

Art Museum attendance and the public realm: The agency of visitor information in Tate's organisational practices of making the art museum's audiences

This study presents an original contribution to knowledge in its investigation of Tate’s strategic practices of audience, via materially-traced networks of action. In recent years, museological literature has examined issues of access and evaluation, their relation to cultural policy, and the wider framework of value delivery within the public realm. The present study employs ethnographic observation over a fifteen month period, combined with a theoretical approach, to trace and describe the social construction of Tate’s understandings of its audiences. The study provides insights into how the visitor information is generated, distributed, mediated, valued and applied across the various departments of the museum, and in what forms it exerts agency upon the daily practices of the art museum. This study advances understandings of audiences within museological discourse by moving beyond the customary calls for the generation of more data, or improved data-collection methods, to consider the effects of the application of visitor information in the formation of audiences, and the significance of this agency in terms of structures of power

How Informal Education Programs Can Learn From Higher Education Assessment: Evaluating the Morton Arboretum\u27s N-ACT Program

As a response to the debate about the worth of completing a degree, higher education has built a set of assessment practices intended to quantify the change in a student as they matriculate from a first year to a graduate controlling for the different backgrounds of students. Cultural institutions like museums, zoos, aquariums, and public gardens face similar questions about the value they bring to their communities, and traditionally have relied on attendance-based data as a matter of convenience that falls well short of demonstrating impact as an informal learning setting. This study suggests higher education’s assessment practices can be used in the informal setting of an arboretum to quantify the impact engaging with one of its informal education programs has with participants. Applying a mixed-methods design collecting both quantitative and qualitative data exploring if the length of time someone engages with a program results in mission-aligned outcomes for the institution hosting the education program, this study addresses some of the challenges cultural institutions have faced in collecting better impact data. Results from the study are promising in terms of mission-aligned outcomes for the specific program evaluated, and suggest that a mixed-methods design should be employed more widely by museums. There are limitations to how well this design meets practitioner needs, however, which impacts future areas of research in need of further exploration

Examining the Impact of Game-Based Learning on Student Engagement and Performance in an Introductory Computer Programming Course at the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC)

At the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) students often struggle with learning programming. Because of this struggle, they often become disengaged with the programming courses, with some transferring to other degree programmes or withdrawing from the programme. While several strategies have been used to ensure that students can problem- solve, design, and develop coded solutions, it has not been enough to alleviate the issues. Game- based learning (GBL) emerged as a possible strategy that can potentially help students develop these skills while keeping them engaged with the course content. Implementing such a strategy within the department requires evidence that it can be an effective technique for teaching and learning programming. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of GBL on student engagement and overall performance in an introductory programming course. The research was designed as a deductive exploratory single case study research strategy and method. It approaches the aims and objectives from a pragmatic perspective, and as a result, uses a mixed methodological approach to data collection and analysis. The findings show that while GBL does not alleviate the common negative reactions to learning programming, it does provide a learning environment engaging enough for students to overlook these. This results in students having an enhanced perception of the knowledge and improved performance. In implementing GBL in other programming courses, some features that are potentially the most impactful on students learning are immediate feedback, freedom to fail, user interface, code without limitations, and a visual representation of progress

City Year: Year 1 Evaluation Report, 2013-2014

City Year is an education-focused nonprofit organization that partners with high needs public schools to enhance the quality of the learning environment in the areas of attendance, behavior, and course performance. This is achieved by deploying teams of City Year corps members to the schools. The expectation is that students who receive support from City Year corps members in the areas of English, math, attendance, and behavior will show growth in their academic and behavioral outcomes. With funding from the William Penn Foundation, City Year is being implemented in 11 high needs public schools within The School District of Philadelphia (SDP or District); targeted support is provided to at-risk students in grades 6 to 9. The Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) is currently evaluating City Year's effectiveness in meeting the above goals for the 2013-2014 school year (SY) – Year 1— and extending into the 2014-2015 SY – Year 2