Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research

Web-Based Collaborative Learning in CS1: A Study on Outcomes of Peer Code Review

Based on a teacher-organized student-to-student code review session, we gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from 177 first-semester Information Technology undergraduate students to learn about their thoughts, experiences and outcomes from collaborative learning through an online tool in an introductory programming course. The students were given a programming exercise to solve using JavaScript in a Web-based IDE facilitating real time code sharing for peerevaluation of code based on five provided evaluation criteria: naming of artifacts in the code, formatting of code, use of data types, use of execution flow, and other comments. In the survey questionnaire, we employed a five-point Likert scale with an additional text field for qualitative feedback. For the qualitative free-text based answers, thematic coding was carried out to identify recurring themes and topics in the students’ answers. Based on the students’ feedback, our results indicate that the majority of the participants had positive experiences resulting in self-reported learning through collaborative work, peer-evaluation and problem solving

A collaborative approach to learning programming: a hybrid learning model

The use of cooperative working as a means of developing collaborative skills has been recognised as vital in programming education. This paper presents results obtained from preliminary work to investigate the effectiveness of Pair Programming as a collaborative learning strategy and also its value towards improving programming skills within the laboratory. The potential of Problem Based Learning as a means of further developing cooperative working skills along with problem solving skills is also examined and a hybrid model encompassing both strategies outlined

Web-based collaborative learning in CS1 a study on outcomes of peer code review

Based on a teacher-organized student-to-student code review session, we gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from 177 first-semester Information Technology undergraduate students to learn about their thoughts, experiences and outcomes from collaborative learning through an online tool in an introductory programming course. The students were given a programming exercise to solve using JavaScript in a Web-based IDE facilitating real time code-sharing for peer-evaluation of code based on five provided evaluation criteria: naming of artifacts in the code, formatting of code, use of data types, use of execution flow, and other comments. In the survey questionnaire, we employed a five-point Likert scale with an additional text field for qualitative feedback. For the qualitative free-text based answers, thematic coding was carried out to identify recurring themes and topics in the students' answers. Based on the students' feedback, our results indicate that the majority of the participants had positive experiences resulting in self-reported learning through collaborative work, peer-evaluation and problem solving.publishedVersio

Improving the Success of Non-Traditional Students in an Introductory Computing Course

This Work in Progress Research to Practice paper presents a redesign of an introduction to computing course at a public, minority serving institution in the United States with a majority of non-traditional students. The course redesign was motivated by the desire to improve the success of the students in this course and in the major. Active learning during class and required attendance were the major components of the course redesign. The course policies included flexibility for the occasional absences that are expected with non-traditional students. A comparison of student performance in the experimental and control sections indicated that the requirement of active participation during class is not detrimental to students’ performance in the course

Moving Classes in a Large Programming Course Online: An Experience Report

We present an experience report on moving face-to-face classes in a large CS1 course to an online format, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The course is based on the flipped classroom approach and team-based learning. Students prepare for classes by reading specific chapters of the textbook and/or by watching pre-recorded videos. The classes are synchronous, in which students take quizzes and work on programming assignments in teams, with the guidance of tutors. To evaluate the implementation, we compared the results from surveys and exams between 2019 and 2020. The results show that students were at least as satisfied with the online classes in 2020 in comparison with face-to-face classes from the previous year, and generally satisfied with the organization of the course and the learning experience. Moreover, we found no discernible change in the grades on the midterm exams and the final exam between the two years. In the future, we might allow the students to choose the class format that best fits their individual needs

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

Brave New World: Can We Engineer a Better Start for Freshers?

Abstract - The crucial importance of first experiences in shaping future success has been widely acknowledged. Creating the best foundations in large cohorts of students from diverse backgrounds presents special problems of its own. But a secure foundation can enhance student achievement and improve retention – and the students may even have fun too. Research has suggested that building learning communities can enhance student engagement and achievement. This paper examines how introducing non-technical activities can establish sound foundations for a university career by a) addressing objectives in the wider curriculum and b) promoting non-technical skills and experience of group working. A set of changes introduced to five degree cohorts in our academic school were designed to complement enhancements to our technical curriculum introduced during many years of debate and consideration. The changes have impacted upon generic and technical educational experiences. The paper presents an evaluation of the programme of changes through two iterations from the perspective of both faculty and student