Evaluation and proposed enhancements in learning undergraduate computer programming using visual Problem Based Learning (PbBL) visual Project Based Learning (PjBL) and visual computer programming

This research, as published in the papers being critically appraised here, evaluated existing teaching strategies adopted on computing degree programmes and proposed pedagogical innovation that impacts and improves first year undergraduate computer programming and, enhances student learning. This necessitated a departure from the didactic teaching strategy often adopted (of teaching code via isolated concepts and working through a few exercises) by introducing an improved and enhanced pedagogical approach. The focus of the published work was the teaching of computer programming and problem solving to undergraduate first year computing students, using visual computer programming, together with robot’s/robot simulators. The author is responsible for the original idea, design, development and introduction of a new first year undergraduate module at the University of Northampton in 2004. The new first year module called “CSY1020 Problem Solving and Programming" enabled proposed pedagogical approaches to be implemented and evaluated. The overarching new and innovative pedagogical approach introduced and implemented by the author, that improved and enhanced student learning was called ‘Problems-first’ and ‘Graphics-first’. The author has used the term ‘Graphics-first’ to define the approach, whereby visual computer programming and graphical user interfaces (GUI) are developed from the outset and throughout the module. The critical appraisal details the extent to which the author’s published works provide a coherent demonstration of the new pedagogical innovation which focused on and emphasised the importance of the ‘Problems-first’ and ‘Graphics-first’ learning and teaching strategies, that were subdivided into four core pedagogical approaches: •Problem Solving (PS). •Problem-Solving-First (PSF) /Problems-First (PF). •Problem Based Learning (PbBL)/Project Based Learning (PjBL). •Physical to Visual/Visual Programming. These four core pedagogical approaches have been applied by the author to the teaching of computer programming and problem solving to undergraduate first year computing students, using robots/robot simulators and visual programming to emulate the robot tasks. Students were taught how to solve problems as part of a project/assignment that is related to a pseudo real-world problem which ultimately stimulates deeper learning and its transferability. The author has been the first to define and differentiate between Problem Based Learning and Project Based Learning by using the abbreviations PbBL and PjBL and defining PjBL as where a project/challenge is set from the outset, such that one PbBL activity leads to another and the series of linked problems form the greater challenge or project. The author’s innovative approach can be seen through adhering strictly to the above definition, throughout the delivery of the Programming module, which combined visual PbBL and visual PjBL. The need to focus initial computer programming education on problem solving, prior to the teaching of computer programming syntax and software design methodology, is proposed by the author. The main vehicle for this approach is a robot/robot simulation programmed in the Java programming language, followed by the visual computer programming of a graphical representation/simulation to develop computer programming skills all delivered by the four pedagogical approaches. The methodology used was action/practitioner research, where the proposed learning and teaching strategies were designed, developed, implemented, evaluated and reflected upon by the author to enable refined approaches to be further re-implemented. The findings and recommendations of this research are that the author’s contribution and impact evidences to include the following learning and teaching strategies: •Problem Solving (PS) throughout the teaching of computer programming (and allied subjects); •Visual Problem Based Learning (PbBL) visual Project Based Learning (PjBL) and; •Physical to visual/visual programming (VP). The academic impact of the author’s research shows that interest has been generated through its dissemination, resulting in citations and requests for papers, together with the impact of the citations, within the context of the pedagogical approaches discussed. This research led to impact and influence on many stakeholders whether: students (at all academic levels); lecturers within or outside the discipline; other Universities throughout the UK, EU and internationally; UK school education (primary and secondary) and even a commercial robot manufacturer. The author’s research is also shown to be timely, relevant and impactful following the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in 2016, due to its proposed pedagogical innovation. Also, with the introduction of the new Computing National Curriculum in September 2013, not only has computer programming become prominent within the School’s curriculum, but both the introduction of computational thinking and the use of visual programming languages are directly relevant to the pedagogical approaches advocated by the author i.e. Problem Solving (PS) visual Problem Based Learning (PbBL) visual Project Based Learning (PjBL) and physical to visual/visual programming (VP)

The research teaching nexus in the computing disciplines: a comparative survey

Many institutions make claims in strategy documents and official publications that students will receive an education which is research-led, research-informed, or guided by the scholarship of teaching and learning. Academics who teach regularly experience at first-hand the sometimes conflicting demands of research, teaching and supporting learning. Curricula guidelines are unlikely to help in developing any sophisticated understanding of ways in which research and teaching can be symbiotically applied, since such guidelines most typically deal with the content rather than the educational process experienced by our undergraduates. For these reasons an academic’s understanding of the research teaching nexus is more likely to be informed by their own workaday experience of designing and delivering educational experiences than from an analysis of the students’ perspective. If academics in the computing disciplines are to effectively deliver on their institutional missions to be scholarly, research-led or research-informed in their educational approaches, a clearer understanding of the possible meanings and implications of these terms in the context of the typical computing curricula would be of assistance. This paper presents and analyses the results of a survey conducted at two Universities which sought to identify how far their undergraduate curriculum was informed by research. This data is presented alongside qualitative data gathered from academics which explores their attitudes towards, and understanding of, the various terms commonly used to describe a research-informed approach to education in the computing disciplines

Decoding learning: the proof, promise and potential of digital education

With hundreds of millions of pounds spent on digital technology for education every year – from interactive whiteboards to the rise of one–to–one tablet computers – every new technology seems to offer unlimited promise to learning. many sectors have benefitted immensely from harnessing innovative uses of technology. cloud computing, mobile communications and internet applications have changed the way manufacturing, finance, business services, the media and retailers operate. But key questions remain in education: has the range of technologies helped improve learners’ experiences and the standards they achieve? or is this investment just languishing as kit in the cupboard? and what more can decision makers, schools, teachers, parents and the technology industry do to ensure the full potential of innovative technology is exploited? There is no doubt that digital technologies have had a profound impact upon the management of learning. institutions can now recruit, register, monitor, and report on students with a new economy, efficiency, and (sometimes) creativity. yet, evidence of digital technologies producing real transformation in learning and teaching remains elusive. The education sector has invested heavily in digital technology; but this investment has not yet resulted in the radical improvements to learning experiences and educational attainment. in 2011, the Review of Education Capital found that maintained schools spent £487 million on icT equipment and services in 2009-2010. 1 since then, the education system has entered a state of flux with changes to the curriculum, shifts in funding, and increasing school autonomy. While ring-fenced funding for icT equipment and services has since ceased, a survey of 1,317 schools in July 2012 by the british educational suppliers association found they were assigning an increasing amount of their budget to technology. With greater freedom and enthusiasm towards technology in education, schools and teachers have become more discerning and are beginning to demand more evidence to justify their spending and strategies. This is both a challenge and an opportunity as it puts schools in greater charge of their spending and use of technolog

Computational Thinking Integration into Middle Grades Science Classrooms: Strategies for Meeting the Challenges

This paper reports findings from the efforts of a university-based research team as they worked with middle school educators within formal school structures to infuse computer science principles and computational thinking practices. Despite the need to integrate these skills within regular classroom practices to allow all students the opportunity to learn these essential 21st Century skills, prior practice has been to offer these learning experiences outside of mainstream curricula where only a subset of students have access. We have sought to leverage elements of the research-practice partnership framework to achieve our project objectives of integrating computer science and computational thinking within middle science classrooms. Utilizing a qualitative approach to inquiry, we present narratives from three case schools, report on themes across work sites, and share recommendations to guide other practitioners and researchers who are looking to engage in technology-related initiatives to impact the lives of middle grades students

Independent Evaluation of the Jim Joseph Foundation's Education Initiative Year 4 Report

Research indicates that well-prepared educators help produce strong learning outcomes for students. For the continued health of Jewish education, higher education institutions should have the capacity to prepare sufficient numbers of highly qualified educators and education leaders for careers in Jewish education. Teachers, division heads, and school heads represent a substantial segment of the educator population in Jewish day schools. More than 5,000 educators enter new positions in Jewish day schools every year and are in need of adequate preparation. The most frequent obstacle to instructional quality in Jewish day schools is the difficulty in recruiting qualified teachers (Ben-Avie & Kress, 2006; Jewish Education Service of North America, 2008; Kidron et al., in press; Krakowski, 2011; Sales, 2007).A similar problem has been observed in supplementary schools in congregational or communal settings. These schools enroll the majority of Jewish children and adolescents receiving a Jewish education in the United States (Wertheimer, 2008). In recent years, congregations have begun to replace traditional educational programs with new approaches that aim to raise the quality of instruction and the level of parent and student satisfaction relative to their programs. These new approaches may include greater integration of experiential Jewish education and community service, family learning, and the integration of all aspects of congregational learning under the leadership of one director (Rechtschaffen, 2011; Sales, Samuel, Koren, & Shain, 2010). High-quality programs that are updated or reconstructed across time to meet the needs of the Jewish community require well-prepared directors and educators. However, many directors and educators in congregational schools have not participated in teacher preparation programs, and the depth of Jewish content knowledge among these teachers is highly variable (Stodolsky, Dorph, & Rosov, 2008)

Developments in information technology and their implications for psychological research: Disruptive or diffusive change?

The notion of technology-induced disruptive change has generally been applied within academia to teaching and learning. Less explored is the disruption that occurs to research as mainstream technology develops. This article examines the effects of technological change on research in psychology, in particular focussing on the development of web-based empirical research procedures over the past 15 years or so. I discuss the history, challenges and potential of these developments, and put forward some qualified suggestions for some of the future directions that technology will allow research in psychology to take

Learning Dimensions: Lessons from Field Studies

In this paper, we describe work to investigate the creation of engaging programming learning experiences. Background research informed the design of four fieldwork studies involving a range of age groups to explore how programming tasks could best be framed to motivate learners. Our empirical findings from these four studies, described here, contributed to the design of a set of programming "Learning Dimensions" (LDs). The LDs provide educators with insights to support key design decisions for the creation of engaging programming learning experiences. This paper describes the background to the identification of these LDs and how they could address the design and delivery of highly engaging programming learning tasks. A web application has been authored to support educators in the application of the LDs to their lesson design

The seamless integration of Web3D technologies with university curricula to engage the changing student cohort

The increasing tendency of many university students to study at least some courses at a distance limits their opportunities for the interactions fundamental to learning. Online learning can assist but relies heavily on text, which is limiting for some students. The popularity of computer games, especially among the younger students, and the emergence of networked games and game-like virtual worlds offers opportunities for enhanced interaction in educational applications. For virtual worlds to be widely adopted in higher education it is desirable to have approaches to design and development that are responsive to needs and limited in their resource requirements. Ideally it should be possible for academics without technical expertise to adapt virtual worlds to support their teaching needs. This project identified Web3D, a technology that is based on the X3D standards and which presents 3D virtual worlds within common web browsers, as an approach worth exploring for educational application. The broad goals of the project were to produce exemplars of Web3D for educational use, together with development tools and associated resources to support non-technical academic adopters, and to promote an Australian community of practice to support broader adoption of Web3D in education. During the first year of the project exemplar applications were developed and tested. The Web3D technology was found to be still in a relatively early stage of development in which the application of standards did not ensure reliable operation in different environments. Moreover, ab initio development of virtual worlds and associated tools proved to be more demanding of resources than anticipated and was judged unlikely in the near future to result in systems that non-technical academics could use with confidence. In the second year the emphasis moved to assisting academics to plan and implement teaching in existing virtual worlds that provided relatively easy to use tools for customizing an environment. A project officer worked with participating academics to support the teaching of significant elements of courses within Second LifeTM. This approach was more successful in producing examples of good practice that could be shared with and emulated by other academics. Trials were also conducted with ExitRealityTM, a new Australian technology that presents virtual worlds in a web browser. Critical factors in the success of the project included providing secure access to networked computers with the necessary capability; negotiating the complexity of working across education, design of virtual worlds, and technical requirements; and supporting participants with professional development in the technology and appropriate pedagogy for the new environments. Major challenges encountered included working with experimental technologies that are evolving rapidly and deploying new networked applications on secure university networks. The project has prepared the way for future expansion in the use of virtual worlds for teaching at USQ and has contributed to the emergence of a national network of tertiary educators interested in the educational applications of virtual worlds

App creation in schools for different curricula subjects - lesson learned

The next generation of jobs will be characterized by an increased demand for people with computational and problem solving skills. In Austria, computer science topics are underrepresented in school curricula hence teaching time for these topics is limited. From primary through secondary school, only a few opportunities exist for young students to explore programming. Furthermore, today's teachers are rarely trained in computer science, which impairs their potential to motivate students in these courses. Within the "No One Left Behind" (NOLB) project, teachers were supported to guide and assist their students in their learning processes by constructing ideas through game making. Thus, students created games that referred to different subject areas by using the programming tool Pocket Code, an app developed at Graz University of Technology (TU-Graz). This tool helps students to take control of their own education, becoming more engaged, interested, and empowered as a result. To ensure an optimal integration of the app in diverse subjects the different backgrounds (technical and non-technical) of teachers must be considered as well. First, teachers were supported to use Pocket Code in the different subjects in school within the feasibility study of the project. Observed challenges and difficulties using the app have been gathered. Second, we conducted interviews with teachers and students to underpin our onsite observations. As a result, it was possible to validate Pocket Codes' potential to be used in a diverse range of subjects. Third, we focused especially on those teachers who were not technically trained to provide them with a framework for Pocket Code units, e.g., with the help of structured lesson plans and predefined templates.Comment: 10 pages, 5 tables EduLearn 201