Games, Robots, and Robot Games: Complementary Contexts for Introductory Computing Education

Using games to teach introductory computing courses provides another context with which to exploring the possible attraction, retention, and education of a new generation of computer science (CS) students. At Bryn Mawr College, we have been actively exploring these contexts and have identified four that have great promise for use in teaching introductory computing courses: visualization, multimedia, robotics, and, most recently, games. We are currently using and analysing robots and have some preliminary results. We believe that much of what we have learned in using robots in the classroom can be applied to the other contexts, especially gaming. In addition, many aspects of gaming can also be used in an introductory course using robots. This paper will explore robotics, gaming, their interactions, and provide suggestions on how best to proceed in making the most out of games in the classroom

Mobile App Development to Increase Student Engagement and Problem Solving Skills

This paper describes a project designed to promote problem solving and critical thinking skills in a general education, computing course at an open access institution. A visual programming tool, GameSalad, was used to enable students to create educational apps for mobile platforms. The students worked on a game development project for the entire semester, incorporating various skills learned throughout the semester. Pre and post quiz analysis showed a significant improvement in students’ ability to design comprehensive solutions to a given problem. Survey results also showed increased student engagement, high interest in computing and a “better” understanding of information technology

The Context of Education Initiatives, Importance and Inhibitors of ICTs towards improving teaching and learning in Tanzania: A Critical Literature review

This paper provides a comprehensive review of articles related to initiatives towards integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Tanzanian education. The review summarizes the relevant research on the use of ICT in education, importance and inhibitors or challenges encountered towards improving teaching and learning from primary to higher education in the country. By having a deep understanding of the opportunities available and inhibitors of ICT towards improving learning and teaching, will be of great importance in improving the integration and utilization of ICT in the educational system in Tanzania. This review will be useful for educators, ICT policymakers and other decision makers who are directly involved in introducing ICT into education in Tanzania. In addition, the review also provides the directions for future research studies in addressing the gap between ICT and education in Tanzania. Keywords: ICT, teaching and learning; Inhibitors of ICT; Student learning, Higher Learning Institutions  (HLIs)

Enseñanza introductoria de la programación : Un estudio curricular por competencias

La programación puede aparecer referida en textos académicos tanto como fácil y divertida como difícil y frustrante. Los trabajos analizados revelan la complejidad inherente al estudio de este problema. Una de las variables del problema es la ubicación curricular de la enseñanza de la programación que, por razones históricas y de motivación para los alumnos, se incluye generalmente de manera temprana en los planes de estudios. Ubicar la enseñanza de la programación en los primeros módulos curriculares lleva a una visión eminentemente práctica de la programación, distanciada de los desarrollos teóricos. En la literatura específica se ha referido a esta separación entre teoría y práctica como una posible causa de que los alumnos cometan errores clásicos difícilmente superables sin conocimiento teórico. Este proyecto se propone realizar un estudio curricular basado en competencias que permita organizar las prácticas relacionadas con la enseñanza y la evaluación de la programación cuando dicha enseñanza está ubicada tempranamente en el plan de estudios. Se producirá un modelo curricular por competencias, se obtendrán requisitos funcionales para el diseño de aplicaciones didácticas que induzcan a relacionar la experiencia en la práctica con la teoría de la disciplina. En calidad de prueba de concepto, se desarrollará por lo menos una aplicación didáctica.Eje: Innovación en Educación Informática.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

The pedagogy of computer programming using cognitive development through an e-learning object

Motivated by the needs of a pedagogy focusing on minimizing the learning difficulties in program semantics knowledge and logical reasoning, this research project develops a cognitive development-based pedagogy for introductory programming to support students in organizing and constructing knowledge to learn computer programming. A pedagogy is described as a practice and learning theory that defines the teaching and learning. Regarding the practice of this pedagogy, it uses a cognitive learning tool, called e-learning object, to support the scaffolding. With regard to the theory, this pedagogy is developed based on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and Piaget’s theory for cognitive development. In particular the scaffolding of this pedagogy includes three major learning processes. The first two learning processes focus on supporting students constructing knowledge on program semantics and conceptually map this knowledge to the coding process. The last learning process extends the learning to self-practice by demanding students to complete a set of exercises independently. All of these learning processes are supported by using the e-learning object, which is the major cognitive learning tool used in this pedagogy to support cognitive development. It is called e-learning object as it is designed by organizing a group of learning objects, in which each of them is to deliver the concepts of a specific unit topic of program control. Together with the course materials, these learning objects are accessed through the college’s ‘Blackboard System’. In addition to the major objective of improving students’ learning performance, this cognitive development-based pedagogy also extends from this objective to find out whether the positive learning outcome connects to cognitive development, and also whether this pedagogy can be embraced by teachers for use in their teaching processes. With these objectives, six research questions are defined in two stages of study. Research questions Q1 and Q2 are used to study students’ learning outcomes in year 1 and 2, and research questions Q3 to Q5 are used to find out whether students’ learning outcomes are connected to cognitive development. Research question Q6 focuses on whether this pedagogy matches teachers’ knowledge of using it, based on their knowledge of applying technology-based pedagogy. The research methodology of this project is the triangulation design where quantitative data are enriched by the collection of qualitative data. This mixture of quantitative and qualitative data collection in different research questions enables this study to interpret the values of this cognitive development-based pedagogy with different views from students and teachers. The research methods mainly include the quasi-experimental method, survey method and the rating scale anchoring method. With these methods, data are collected by using pre-test and post-test papers, questionnaires, and a checklist of rating scale anchoring mental specifications. They are analysed by two-tailed t-test, descriptive method with mean analysis and the one- way repeated measure ANOVA. These research and data analysis methods have been proven effective and used widely, in educational research projects. This research project makes four major contributions: (i) the e-learning object used in this pedagogy can be used to improve students’ learning performance in computer programming; (ii) evidence that a pedagogy focusing on cognitive development can be used to improve students’ learning performance without being limited by programming languages; (iii) development of a cognitive development- based pedagogy for wide use in introductory programming without being limited by teachers’ knowledge and programming languages; and (iv) learning with this cognitive development-based pedagogy builds up students’ problem-solving skills and applies them to different subject areas. With these achieved goals, this project therefore provides a conceptual and operational model for a pedagogical approach to Computer Science teachers design and use in their teaching process

XXIII Edición del Workshop de Investigadores en Ciencias de la Computación : Libro de actas

Compilación de las ponencias presentadas en el XXIII Workshop de Investigadores en Ciencias de la Computación (WICC), llevado a cabo en Chilecito (La Rioja) en abril de 2021.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informátic

The Role of Programming in IT

Early in its history as an academic discipline, depth in computer programming was a primary distinguishing factor between IT and older computing disciplines, such as computer science. Initially, IT was perceived, or misperceived, as being “computing without the programming. ” However, as IT has begun to mature as a computing discipline, computer programming is emerging as “the ” foundation skill for information technologists. However, programming in IT is fundamentally different from programming in computer science or software engineering, and the tasks and requisite skill sets of IT professionals differ from those of other computing professionals. The IT Department at RIT has changed the weight and delivery of programming in its curriculum several times since its inception in 1992. Today, programming is an essential foundation for other more advanced IT skills in all curricular knowledge areas, and it is a central outcome of the curriculum. This paper discusses the role of programming in IT, the types of skills necessary, how we see the need for this skill changing in the other “pillars ” of this academic discipline, and the impact on programming curricula