The Live Programming Lecturing Technique: A Study of the Student Experience in Introductory and Advanced Programming Courses

This paper investigates the topic of teaching programming in higher education. The teaching method often referred to as live programming has become a widely applied lecturing strategy for teaching programming subjects in an interactive fashion. Lectures based on live programming normally involve live demonstrations, explanations and interaction with the students. Although this technique seems to be very popular amongst students and instructors, we hypothesise that it also involves potential challenges. In this paper, we investigate the perceived difficulty and promise of following such an approach from a student perspective. We present results from interviews with 1st and 2nd year IT Bachelor students about their experience with live programming. Our results indicate that students’ engagement and desire to learn through active learning techniques still are very much valid also in introductory and advanced programming courses. Furthermore, we also interpret from our findings a suggested model of a repeated cycle of lecture, demo and exercise as highly beneficial to the student learning process

Gamification in programming: a short introductory session in programming with online games

L

An Experience with and Reflections on Live Coding with Active Learning

In this paper I report and reflect on a concrete experience with changing an introductory programming course from being based on "classical lectures" to being based on live coding with active learning. The experiment is built on learnings found in the literature and the pedagogical theories of scaffolding, think-pair-share and teaching as facilitation of learning. I reflect on the students\u27 reaction to the experiment, the difficulty of the active learning, how to keep time, coverage of learning objectives, the degree of improvisation and student involvement. The experiment was well received by the students, and I report also on the feedback. My hope is that educators who want to introduce live coding with active learning will be able to draw inspiration from my preparation of, execution of and reflections on the experiment

Teaching Programming to the Post-Millennial Generation: Pedagogic Considerations for an IS Course

Teaching introductory programming to IS students is challenging. The educational, technological, demographic, and cultural landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. The post-millennial generation has different needs and expectations in an era of open resources. Learning to program is perceived as difficult, teaching approaches are diverse, and there is little research on what works best. In this paper, we share our experiences in developing, testing, and implementing a new design for teaching introductory IS programming at the undergraduate level. We describe pedagogic considerations and present teaching tips for a blended course that combines best practices with experimentation. Our approach recognizes the changing nature of the student body, the needs of an IS major in the current environment, and the worldwide shift in education from instructor-centered to student-centered learning

Programming music with Sonic Pi promotes positive attitudes for beginners

Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The AuthorProgramming is often misaligned with beginner students' interests and viewed as difficult. However, most students and teachers are not aware that it is possible to utilise domain-specific programming languages that combine programming with other domains like music making. Sonic Pi is one free domain-specific programming platform that enables beginners to code music, which has been designed for and used in schools since its first release in 2012. However, there is a lack of academic research on the Sonic Pi platform about the extent it may affect beginner student attitudes towards programming in a school context. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent Sonic Pi may help to promote positive attitudes towards programming. A mixed-methods case study was developed and trialled in school time with a middle school class, which measured student attitudes with the three subscales of enjoyment, importance, and anxiety. Overall, the results confirmed an alternative hypothesis that all students’ subscales for programming attitude increased significantly. While these findings are not generalisable due to its limited scope, they are very positive to inform the design and use of platforms like Sonic Pi in comparison to similar music coding platforms like EarSketch and TunePad.Peer reviewe

Teaching computer programming with PRIMM: a sociocultural perspective

Background and Context: With computing now becoming a mandatory subject in school in many countries, there is a need for clearly defined pedagogical strategies to support all learners; this is particularly pertinent when teaching computer programming, which novice adults have struggled with for decades. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasises the importance of language, mediation, and the transfer of skills and knowledge from the social into the cognitive plane. This perspective has influenced the development of PRIMM (Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify, Make), a structured approach to teaching programming. Objective: The objective of the study was to find out if using PRIMM to teach programming had an impact on learner attainment in secondary school, and the extent to which it was a valuable method for teachers. Method: We evaluated the use of PRIMM in 13 schools with 493 students aged 11-14 alongside a control group, using a mixed-methods approach. Teachers delivered programming lessons using the PRIMM approach for 8-12 weeks. Data were collected via a combination of a baseline test, a post-test to compare control and experimental groups, and teacher interviews. Findings: Learners who participated in the PRIMM lessons performed better in the post test than the control group. Teachers reported several benefits of the PRIMM approach, including that PRIMM helped them to teach effectively in mixed-ability classes, enabling all learners to make progress. Implications: We hope that PRIMM makes a contribution to programming education research, as it builds on previous work in effective pedagogy for teachers, and encourages the use of language and dialogue to facilitate understanding. Through our evaluation of PRIMM and engagement with classroom teachers, we propose a framework for understanding the learning of programming in the classroom, and present this as an avenue for further research

Enfrentando la interfaz, nuevas perspectivas en las artes vivas

Este trabajo muestra la experiencia de diseño, desde la concepción, pasando por la depuración y final implementación de las interfaces usadas por artistas, músicos y entusiastas de varios colectivos artísticos de la ciudad de Medellín durante el periodo comprendido entre 2013 a 2017; Los colectivos con los que se trabajó fueron: Colectivo CICLUX, Semillero de investigación creación CINEVIVO, Semillero de investigacion-creacion ACORDE, Colectivo Algo0ritmos. También, la Cybernetic Orchestra de la Universidad McMaster en Hamilton, Ontario, Canadá. La tesis centra sus esfuerzos en el trabajo \en vivo" y especialmente en la producción audiovisual que intenta analizar desde varias perspectivas, la evolución de cada interfaz, desde los prototipos hasta los diseños finales y como estos cambios fueron afectando la evolución de la obra producto del trabajo con la interfaz bien sea esta una interfaz gráfica, física o basado en la idea del código de programación computacional como interfaz para el trabajo en tiempo real. Los capítulos podrán verse de forma independiente y no es necesaria una lectura lineal.This work shows the design experience, from conception to debugging and the nal implementation of the interfaces used by artists, musicians and enthusiasts of various artistic groups in the city of Medellín during the period from 2013 to 2017; groups with which we worked were: Colectivo CICLUX, Semillero de investigacion-creacion CineVivo, Semillero de investigacion-creacion ACORDE, Colectivo Algoritmos. Also the Cybernetic Orchestra of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont ario, Canada. This thesis focuses on live works and especially on audiovisual production and tries to analyze from various perspectives the evolution of each interface, from prototypes to nal designs and how these changes were a recting the evolution of the artwork as a product of the work with the interface, either it is a graphical interface, physical or based on the idea of computational programming as interface for the work in real timeMagister en Artes Digitale

public class Graphic_Design implements Code { // Yes, but how? }: An investigation towards bespoke Creative Coding programming courses in graphic design education

Situated in the intersection of graphic design, computer science, and pedagogy, this dissertation investigates how programming is taught within graphic design education. The research adds to the understanding of the process, practice, and challenges associated with introducing an audience of visually inclined practitioners—who are often guided by instinct—to the formal and unforgiving world of syntax, algorithms, and logic. Motivating the research is a personal desire to contribute towards the development of bespoke contextualized syllabi specifically designed to accommodate how graphic designers learn, understand, and use programming as an integral skill in their vocational practice.The initial literature review identifies a gap needing to be filled to increase both practical and theoretical knowledge within the interdisciplinary field of computational graphic design. This gap concerns a lack of solid, empirically based epistemological frameworks for teaching programming to non-programmers in a visual context, partly caused by a dichotomy in traditional pedagogical practices associated with teaching programming and graphic design, respectively. Based on this gap, the overarching research question posed in this dissertation is: “How should programming ideally be taught to graphic designers to account for how they learn and how they intend to integrate programming into their vocational practice?”A mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative analyses is taken to answer the research questions. The three papers comprising the dissertation are all built on individual hypotheses that are subsequently used to define three specific research questions.Paper 1 performs a quantitative mapping of contemporary, introductory programming courses taught in design schools to establish a broader understanding of their structure and content. The paper concludes that most courses are planned to favor programming concepts rather than graphic design concepts. The paper’s finding can serve as a point of departure for a critical discussion among researchers and educators regarding the integration of programming in graphic design education.Paper 2 quantitatively assesses how the learning style profile of graphic design students compares with that of students in technical disciplines. The paper identifies a number of significant differences that call for a variety of pedagogic and didactic strategies to be employed by educators to effectively teach programming to graphic designers. Based on the results, specific recommendations are given.Paper 3 proposes a hands-on, experiential pedagogic method specifically designed to introduce graphic design students to programming. The method relies on pre-existing commercial graphic design specimens to contextualize programming into a domain familiar to graphic designers. The method was tested on the target audience and observations on its use are reported. Qualitative evaluation of student feedback suggests the method is effective and well-received. Additionally, twenty-four heuristics that elaborate and extend the paper’s findings by interweaving other relevant and influential sources encountered during the research project are provided. Together, the literature review, the three papers, and the heuristics provide comprehensive and valuable theoretical and practical insights to both researchers and educators, regarding key aspects related to introducing programming as a creative practice in graphic design education

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