A Software Development Process for Freshman Undergraduate Students

This conceptual paper presents work which is part of an ongoing research project into the design of a software development process aimed at freshman, undergraduate computing students. The process of how to plan and develop a solution is a topic that is addressed very lightly in many freshman, undergraduate courses which can leave novices open to developing habit-forming, maladaptive cognitive practices. The conceptual software development process described in this paper has a learning process at its core which centres on declarative knowledge (in the form of threshold concepts) and procedural knowledge (in the form of computational thinking skills) scaffolding freshman software development from initial planning through to final solution. The process - known as Computational Analysis and Design Engineered Thinking (CADET) - aims to support the structured development of both software and student self-efficacy

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

Online tools to support novice programming: A systematic review

Novice programming is a challenging subject to both the students and the educators. A novice programmer is required to acquire new knowledge to solve a problem and propose a solution systematically. This is followed by constructing the solution in a development environment that they are unfamiliar with. This research looks at the challenges faced by a novice programmer and the online methods that are popular to assist the students. Online block programming is a popular option. One of the software that had been implemented in the various research project is Scratch. From the reviewed research, it shows that the trend is moving towards an intelligent tutoring system, where students can have personalized engagement for their learning experience. This paper presents a systematic review conducted using the keywords ”novice programming”, ”introductory”, ”CS1”, ”difficulties”, ”challenges”, and ”threshold concepts”. From the review conducted, it is observed that most of the work is carried out to ease the implementation of the solution through an integrated development environment, and block programming. On the support for instructors, the discussion on curriculum and challenges in CS1 tops the chart. This is followed by active learning through online tools

An online laboratory – is it as good as the real thing?

This paper explores the process of design and development of an online laboratory learning experience. Constant evaluation, iterative development, reuse and combination of existing learning objects are fundamental considerations. A generic development process based on this practical approach is described. Finally, findings arising from creation of a simple online laboratory are discussed, concluding with an exploratory comparison of online and live laboratories

Good practice report : student transition into higher education

This good practice report, commissioned by the ALTC, provides a summative evaluation of useful outcomes and good practices from ALTC projects and fellowships on student transition into higher education. The report contains: a summative evaluation of the good practices and key outcomes for teaching and learning from completed ALTC projects and fellowships a literature review of the good practices and key outcomes for teaching and learning from national and international research the proposed outcomes and resources for teaching and learning which will be produced by current incomplete ALTC projects and fellowships identifies areas in which further work or development are appropriate

An integrated framework for learning analytics

Low retention rates have been an ongoing concern, especially among educational institutions amidst expanding their student base and catering to large and diverse student cohorts. Increasing retention rates without lowering academic standards poses many challenges. The traditional teaching techniques using a one-size-fits-all approach appear to be less effective, and the size and diversity of cohorts demand innovative teaching techniques allowing for adaptive and personalized coaching and learning. In this thesis, we propose a novel, adaptive and integrated analytics framework for learning analytics to address the key concerns of educational institutions. The proposed framework comprises three layers: (1) the conceptual layer which is a context-agnostic and generic analytics layer including descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive techniques; (2) the logical layer or the context-specific learning analytics processes layer that specializes the conceptual layer in the context of education; ten key learning analytics processes are formalized, implemented, and linked to the conceptual layer components; finally, (3) the physical layer that is concerned with education-oriented application implementations and is a context-specific components/algorithmic implementation of the logical layer processes. Our proposed framework, however, is not limited only to the learning and teaching environment. As a proof of concept, we chose the education context and applied our framework on it. The three-layered integrated learning analytics framework proposed allows domain-agnostic elements defined in the conceptual layer to be realized by domain-specific processes in the logical layer, and implemented through existing and new components in the physical layer. Please note that the learning analytics is not confined to the education context alone. The framework, therefore, can be customized for different domains making the approach more widely applicable. An adaptive and innovative approach in the physical layer named the personalized prescriptive quiz (PPQ) is introduced as a demonstration of education-oriented applications assisting the educational institutions. The novel agile learning approach proposed combines descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics to create a personalized iterative and incremental approach to learning. The PPQ allows students to easily analyze their current problems (especially, identifying their misconceptions), predict future results, and benefit from personalized intervention tasks. The enhanced PPQ incorporating difficulty and discrimination indexes, run-time question selection, and a hybrid iterative predictive model can be more beneficial and effective for personalized learning. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in student academic performance after applying the PPQ approach. In addition, students claimed that the PPQ helped them elevate their self-esteem and improve student experience which may eventually lead to improved retention rates

Issues, opportunities and concepts in the teaching of programming to novice programmers at the University of Lincoln : three approaches.

This thesis describes three small-scale, computer-based approaches developed and used by the author in her teaching of programming concepts to novice programmers, using Pascal as a first language, within a higher education context. The first approach was the development of a piece of tutorial CAL, the second was the development of an on-line help system and the third the development of a pattern language. For the first two, the author created the product. For the pattern language, she designed the template. These three approaches are described and the results obtained outlined. The work also looks at the kind of research methodologies and tools available to the author and present a rationale for her choices of method and tools. This work also briefly reviews some learning theories that could be used to underpin the design, use and evaluation of CAL. The thesis looks at a range of topics associated with the teaching of programming and the use of CAL. It looks at issues around the psychology and human aspects of learning to program, such as confirmatory bias and vision. It looks at other research efforts aimed at developing software to support inexperienced programmers, including new programming languages specifically designed to teach programming concepts and sophisticated programming support environments. The work briefly reviews various types of CAL and their uses. It also examines some key projects in CAL development from the 1960s onwards, with particular emphasis on UK projects from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. It looks at what conclusions can be drawn from examining some of the many CAL projects in the past. Finally, the work reviews the various strands of the author's research efforts and presents a brief overview and some initial suggestions for the teaching of programming to novice programmers

Evidence-based eLearning Design: Develop and Trial a Prototype Software Instrument for Evaluating the Quality of eLearning Design Within a Framework of Cognitive Load Theory

A major research direction within higher education in Australia and internationally is the evaluation of learning design quality and the extent to which the design–teaching–learning–evaluation cycle is evidence based. The quest for increased evidence-based learning design, which has been influenced by evidence-based medical research standards, is driven by its link to improved learning outcomes, higher learner engagement levels and lower attrition rates. Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has risen to prominence over the past three decades as an evidence-based framework for informing instructional design in traditional, blended and multimedia learning environments. CLT approaches learning from the perspective of engaging specific strategies to manage the loads imposed on a limited working memory in order to form and automate long-term memory schemas. CLT operates on the premise that optimal learning conditions may be obtained by aligning pedagogical strategies with the structure and functions of human cognitive architecture and the individual learner’s prior knowledge. CLT has contributed a suite of strategies derived from a unified model of human cognitive architecture and validated through randomised controlled trial (RCT) experiments as exerting strengthening effects on learning, thus suiting the CLT framework for use as an evidence-based standard in this study. Up to this point, a single digital system has not yet been developed for managing, monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of CLT strategies at scale. The key contribution of this study is a new prototype software instrument called Cognitive Load Evaluation Management System (CLEMS) that addresses this issue and also provides a model for its implementation. CLEMS is underpinned by a personalised model of teacher–learner interactions defined as mediative–adaptive in nature that includes diagnostic conversations (DCs) for identifying barriers to learning, interventions called Nodes of Expertise (NOEs) for advancing learners to new levels of understanding of complex knowledge, and validation conversations (VCs) for evaluating learner progress. In addition, the heutagogical or self-directed learning capability of learners, including motivation, has been brought to the fore as a significant factor contributing to schema automation. A qualitative Design-based Research (DBR) methodological approach was used to develop CLEMS, which emerged over three research iterations through the synthesis of literature review findings and empirical data from expert focus groups. Emergent data was continuously triangulated between research iterations and ongoing literature reviews to refine the design and development of CLEMS from a theoretical model to an operational digital prototype. The conceptual framework of the study has been derived from Critical Realism (CR) which posits an ontological–epistemological view of reality that is stratified and multi-mechanistic, thus aligning with the complex nature of authentic learning environments as well as the multi-faceted model of human cognitive architecture contributed by CLT. The implications of the study have been discussed with reference to stakeholders including teachers, learners and educational institutions. Recommendations for future research include the ongoing development of CLEMS for the systematic implementation of CLT strategies at scale.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 202