An Innovative Approach: Teaching Programming Languages Using A Second Language Acquisition Theory

Introduction to Computing for Engineers, EGR 115, has proven to be a challenging course for many students, especially if it is their first contact with programming languages. The purpose of Second Language Acquisition applied to a Blended Learning environment (SLA-aBLe) is to make the process of learning MATLAB in hybrid courses more intuitive. The hybrid course material aims to enhance students’ understanding of the logic orientated concepts by integrating Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory into programming language study. For this purpose, four topics were redesigned to include narrated PowerPoint slides, online quizzes, online discussion board, and think-pair-share lab exercises. Utilizing students’ feedback and data analysis, the research team is going to further improve course materials for subsequent terms. Based on the principles of SLA theory, the effectiveness of past applications and the improvements will be illustrated and future work will be discussed

Second Language Acquisition in a Blended Learning of programming languages (SLA-aBLe): Students respond to new materials

SLA-aBLe, Second Language Acquisition applied to a Blended Learning of programming languages, is an on-going project the team started on 2014. The objective is to improve student’s learning experience of a programming language class by applying second language acquisition techniques to make the process more comprehensive and interactive for students. This is a fluid project in which new changes and improvements based on students’ feedback are implemented after each term. The materials created include: new slides and videos for online learning purposes, new labs and activities, active programming quizzes and discussion boards online. In previous terms, the students have responded positively to the new materials and suggested further ways to improve them. The team has made changes based on the student’s response to these new materials, which is worth analyzing in this poster. The grades of students in the sections will be compared. Most importantly, their responses to the surveys and one-on-one interviews carried out regarding the students’ feedback on the project will be discussed. It is also important to analyze and present the demographics of the students who have taken this course and how and if that has affected their SLA-aBLe experience. As a student who has taken this course without the SLA-aBLe experience but a second language speaker, the author can compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages SLA-aBLe supposes for students taking the programming language course. Future work and outreach of this project will also be analyzed in this poster

Can We Teach a Programming Language as a Second Language?

This paper describes a design and implementation of a NSF sponsored project in 2015. This study will test the hypothesis that the use of cognitive frameworks in second language acquisition for the development of a blended learning of programming languages can improve engagement and the learning experience of engineering students. Using this approach will place greater emphasis on problem solving techniques that can be utilized in all courses. The online module consists of a series of short videos (10-20 minutes), online quizzes with tiered questions, and topic specified discussion board led by student researchers. Students’ demographic data, course-related behaviors such as usage of the instructional videos and discussion board, student performance such as quizzes and exams, and attitude toward the class will be compared across students in the experimental groups, and control groups to determine if student performance, behavior and attitudes vary across classrooms employing different teaching strategies

A Human Factors Perspective on Learning Programming Languages using a Second Language Acquisition Approach

In this day and age, knowing a programming language is an essential skill to have for those pursuing a career in any of the STEM fields. In most colleges and universities around the world, engineering and computer science students are required to take an introductory course in a programming language. However, many students find these courses intimidating and too challenging. This paper explores a psychological perspective on learning programming languages using Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories. The paper also describes the basic function of how learning works and how SLA aids in the learning process. This paper also briefly discusses the Second Language Acquisition in a Blended Learning (SLA-aBLe) project, and how the use of SLA techniques facilitated students learning MATLAB. Demographic survey data and overall grade data from spring 2016 show that students in the SLA-aBLe courses received overall higher grades and felt less overwhelmed and intimidated

A Second Language Acquisition Approach to Learning Programming Languages

The instructional design for modules in the study was based on the evidence that learning a programming language is analogous to students acquiring a second language, and utilized tools from Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory. A programming language has vocabulary, syntax, grammar and communicative outcomes that must be sufficiently developed for the learner to function successfully in the environment that utilizes the language. This proposed study utilized an SLA approach to programming language in a blended learning environment. Modifications to the course pedagogy included breaking the course topics into video lessons focusing on basic programming vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. These videos had opportunities for the students to practice new commands and dynamically apply the grammatical programming rules introduced in the lesson. Student performance in sections using the SLA approach will be compared with that of students in unaltered programming sections using student survey responses, class participation and course grades

Preliminary Study of Shape-Memory Alloy Torsional Tubes as Thermal Management Actuators Under Non-ideal Conditions

Shape-memory alloys (SMAs) have been used in many engineering applications because of their shape-memory effect and pseudoelasticity. SMA behavior is well understood under steady and constant temperature and loading conditions, whereas transient and non-ideal conditions effects should be further investigated. In this research, SMA torque tubes are studied for use in thermal management applications as self-regulated actuators responding to a process fluid with changes in temperature, with the goal of improved system efficiency by keeping components at an optimal temperature. When utilized in a thermal management configuration, it is likely that the SMA’s thermal environment will be different than that to which it was trained for, leading to challenges from a modeling standpoint. Process fluid transients lead to temperature fluctuations in the SMA, which may not be negligible in a self-regulated system. Similarly, without perfect insulation of the SMA, a temperature gradient (potentially both along the length and along the thickness) will occur when the SMA is subject to a different boundary condition than what they were trained for (steady isothermal). Empirical efforts have shown that this leads to deviations from expected behavior, challenging the modeling of an open-loop system. This study looks at Nitinol (Nickel-Titanium alloy) rotational actuator tubes, with the goal further understanding the non-ideal conditions for a future model system. The SMA tube was subjected to both insulated and natural convection boundary conditions, with low and high mass flow rates for both heating and cooling cases. The one-dimensional model was compared to experiments as well as a modified thermal model to help improve modeling efforts. Experimental efforts show that a convection boundary leads to temperature gradients, especially at high temperatures and low flow rates. Thermal modeling showed no significant variation along the thickness, mostly due to the small thickness of the tube

Motivating Students to Learn a Programming Language: Applying a Second Language Acquisition Approach in a Blended Learning Environment

Learning a programming language typically involves acquisition of new vocabulary, punctuation, and grammatical structures to communicate with a computer. In other words, learning a programming language is like learning a human language. A recent study showed that programmers use language regions of the brain when understanding source code and found little activation in other regions of the brain devoted to mathematical thinking. Even though programming code involved mathematical operations, conditionals, and loop iterations, researchers found that programming had less in common with mathematics and more in common with human language

Can We Teach a Programming Language as a Second Language?

This paper describes a design and implementation of a NSF sponsored project in 2015. This study will test the hypothesis that the use of cognitive frameworks in second language acquisition for the development of a blended learning of programming languages can improve engagement and the learning experience of engineering students. Using this approach will place greater emphasis on problem solving techniques that can be utilized in all courses. The online module consists of a series of short videos (10-20 minutes), online quizzes with tiered questions, and topic specified discussion board led by student researchers. Students’ demographic data, course-related behaviors such as usage of the instructional videos and discussion board, student performance such as quizzes and exams, and attitude toward the class will be compared across students in the experimental groups, and control groups to determine if student performance, behavior and attitudes vary across classrooms employing different teaching strategies

A Human Factors Perspective on Learning Programming Languages using a Second Language Acquisition Approach

In this day and age, knowing a programming language is an essential skill to have for those pursuing a career in any of the STEM fields. In most colleges and universities around the world, engineering and computer science students are required to take an introductory course in a programming language. However, many students find these courses intimidating and too challenging. This paper explores a psychological perspective on learning programming languages using Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories. The paper also describes the basic function of how learning works and how SLA aids in the learning process. This paper also briefly discusses the Second Language Acquisition in a Blended Learning (SLA-aBLe) project, and how the use of SLA techniques facilitated students learning MATLAB. Demographic survey data and overall grade data from spring 2016 show that students in the SLA-aBLe courses received overall higher grades and felt less overwhelmed and intimidated