A game-based approach to the teaching of object-oriented programming languages

Students often have difficulties when trying to understand the concepts of object-oriented programming (OOP). This paper presents a contribution to the teaching of OOP languages through a game-oriented approach based on the interaction with tangible user interfaces (TUIs). The use of a specific type of commercial distributed TUI (Sifteo cubes), in which several small physical devices have sensing, wireless communication and user-directed output capabilities, is applied to the teaching of the C# programming language, since the operation of these devices can be controlled by user programs written in C#. For our experiment, we selected a sample of students with a sufficient knowledge about procedural programming, which was divided into two groups: The first one had a standard introductory C# course, whereas the second one had an experimental C# course that included, in addition to the contents of the previous one, two demonstration programs that illustrated some OOP basic concepts using the TUI features. Finally, both groups completed two tests: a multiple-choice exam for evaluating the acquisition of basic OOP concepts and a C# programming exercise. The analysis of the results from the tests indicates that the group of students that attended the course including the TUI demos showed a higher interest level (i.e. they felt more motivated) during the course exposition than the one that attended the standard introductory C# course. Furthermore, the students from the experimental group achieved an overall better mark. Therefore, we can conclude that the technological contribution of Sifteo cubes – used as a distributed TUI by which OOP basic concepts are represented in a tangible and a visible way – to the teaching of the C# language has a positive influence on the learning of this language and such basic concepts

A study of Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 c-minor Op.67 (Fate)\nused as standard teaching material in a junior high school music class

As part of junior high school music education in Japan, both standard singing teaching materials and standard listening teaching materials have been assigned according to successive Department of Education directives (1958, 1969, 1977, and 1989). However, these were not specified for the 1998 directive on teaching guidelines. For the 2008 guidelines, seven compositions by Japanese composers remain, but directives regarding standard listening teaching materials were not included. Among the previous directives (1977, 1989) Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 c-minor Op.67 (named ‘Fate’ in Japan) was assigned as part of the curriculum for both second grade students. This paper will attempt to examine the adequacy of descriptions of this Beethoven’s symphony in three textbooks assigned as part of music education in Japan

Student-centred schools make the difference

The primary focus of this review is on how school leaders can develop and sustain a student-centred philosophy at all levels within their schools in order to increase the quality of education for all students. The authors draw on research literature from Australia and internationally to examine the impact that student-centred education can have on student outcomes, particularly for those students in disadvantaged contexts. The review initially explores the concept of student-centred schools and how this notion is nested within a range of theoretical and philosophical constructs. The authors draw from research into student-centred pedagogy, learner-centred education, student-centred teaching and learning, and student-centred/ learner-centred leadership to provide a description of a student-centred school. They then consider models of leading student-centred schools, drawing from AITSL’s Australian Professional Standard for Principals and looking at the large-scale student-centred reforms in Ontario, Canada. The authors use Viviane Robinson’s five dimensions of school leadership that impact on student outcomes: 1) Establishing goals and expectations, 2) Resourcing strategically, 3) Ensuring quality teaching, 4) Leading teacher learning and development, and 5) Ensuring a safe and orderly environment.  They then extend this framework to include three additional dimensions of student-centred schooling that emerged from the literature: a) Working with the wider community, b) Ethical Leadership, and c) Student voice. This report offers a critical review of literature to address the hypothesis that student-centred schools make the difference

Students’ and Teachers’ Factors Hindering Effective Teaching and Learning of Economics in Secondary Schools in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State

Students’ and teachers’ factors that affect effective teaching and learning of economics in secondary schools in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria, was investigated using 10 out of 31 public schools in the study area. Data was collected using a questionnaire titled “Teachers’ & students’ factors hindering effective teaching and learning of Economics in Secondary Schools (TSFETLE),” developed by the researchers and rated on a four-point scale. The instrument had 26 items arranged in three clusters. Cluster A elicited information on teacher-related factors hindering effective teaching and learning of economics, Cluster B sought information on student-related factors that hinder effective teaching and learning of economics, and Cluster C sought information on strategies for effective teaching and learning of economics. The 52 teachers in the 31 government-owned secondary schools and 349 SS2 students of economics in 10 randomly selected secondary schools in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State were included in the study. Data elicited from three research questions were analyzed descriptively using mean and standard deviation, while t-test was used to compare the teachers’ and students’ responses. The results of the study showed that teachers’ qualifications, teaching methods, and students’ attitudes and disposition toward economics are the key factors affecting effective teaching and learning of economics

Teaching Security in Introductory C-Programming Courses

[ES] The challenges in the age of digitalization demand that universities qualify their computer science and engineering graduates well with respect to IT Security (information technology security). In engineering education such lectures are often offered as an elective subject, only. We propose to teach security aspects with respect to robustness and correctness already in the introductory programming course and therefore to cover at least parts of the overall field of IT Security as a compulsory subject for all students. The paper describes the integration of some rules and recommendations from the SEI Cert C Coding Standard into our introductory C programming course and discusses our experience with the course over the last two years with respect to its contents, realization, evaluation and examination.Pawelczak, D. (2020). Teaching Security in Introductory C-Programming Courses. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):595-603. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.1111459560330-05-202