On the Development of a Programming Teaching Tool: The Effect of Teaching by Templates on the Learning Process

Al-Imamy, Samer Y.; Alizadeh, Javanshir; Nour, Mohamed A.

doi:10.28945/247

Cited by 35 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…However in the last years new studies have been performed on the educational impact of programming using new visual programming languages based on blocks (Weintrop & Wilensky, 2015), the most notable example being Scratch (Maloney, Resnick, Rusk, Silverman, & Eastmond, 2010), which try to address one of the major issues related to teaching introductory programming courses: the amount of time spent on the language's syntax (Al-Imamy, Alizadeh, & Nour, 2006). In the development of Scratch, creators were inspired and informed by the success and posterior decline in the use of Logo and other previous programming languages, aiming to make Scratch more meaningful for learners, more tinkerable, and more social (Resnick et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Code to Learn: Where Does It Belong in the K-12 Curriculum?

2016

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The introduction of computer programming in K-12 has become mainstream in the last years, as countries around the world are making coding part of their curriculum. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical studies that investigate how learning to program at an early age affects other school subjects. In this regard, this paper compares three quasi-experimental research designs conducted in three different schools (n=129 students from 2 nd and 6 th grade), in order to assess the impact of introducing programming with Scratch at different stages and in several subjects. While both 6 th grade experimental groups working with coding activities showed a statistically significant improvement in terms of academic performance, this was not the case in the 2 nd grade classroom. Notable disparity was also found regarding the subject in which the programming activities were included, as in social studies the effect size was double that in mathematics.Keywords: elementary education, improving classroom teaching, interdisciplinary projects, programming and programming languages, teaching/learning strategies, computer education, Scratch. IntroductionComputer programming is becoming a basic skill that allows participating effectively in a world full of digital objects (González, 2014), and in recent years we are witnessing initiatives worldwide to promote the teaching of programming in schools. However, there is little consensus about the way programming should be included in the curriculum (Grover & Pea, 2013).The European Schoolnet has elaborated a report where 20 European MinistriesMaterial published as part of this publication, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the Informing Science Institute. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. It is permissible to abstract these works so long as credit is given. To copy in all other cases or to republish or to post on a server or to redistribute to lists requires specific permission and payment of a fee. Contact Publisher@InformingScience.org to request redistribution permission.Code to Learn: Where Does It Belong in the K-12 Curriculum? 284of Education give an overview of their current initiatives and plans regarding computer programming (Balanskat & Engelhardt, 2015). There are countries where programming is an end in itself, as the focus is on the potential benefits for those who know to program when they enter the labor market. This approach is based on studies that estimate that in the near future there will be a significant shortage of well-trained professionals in this field in Europe (Gareis et al., 2014) and in the US (Cuny, 2012). Some countries have decided to create a new specific subject, while others have included coding in the general ICT/technology course. Other governments are consideri...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Code to Learn: Where Does It Belong in the K-12 Curriculum?

2016

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“…Programming requires the understanding of a variety of different educational areas; for example, the novice programmer must digest logic and mathematical concepts, syntax, the language interface, algorithms, flowcharts, and pseudocode associated with programming theory, overwhelming even the optimal e-learner; thus, they experience increased levels of stress and frustration (Kelleher & Pausch, 2005). Similarly, (Al-Imamy, 2006) showed that the primary obstacle in teaching introductory programming is the critical task of teaching syntax, which reduces the time allocated for teaching learners how to design programs through algorithms, flowcharts, and pseudocode that enhance the ability of the learners to creatively find solutions to the programming problems they face. The authors stipulated that diverse learner experiences, both life and scholastic, coupled with the restrictions presented by the online environment reduce the course to syntactic rules, disregarding problem-solving concepts critical to programming (Al-Imamy, 2006).…”

Section: Teaching Programming In the Online Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Cognitive Load in Introductory Programming Courses: A Cognitive Aware Scaffolding Tool

Stachel

Marghitu

Brahim

et al. 2013

Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science

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Research on techniques for teaching computer programming to novice learners has suggested that introducing programming concepts and theories is extremely difficult because the learners have to assimilate syntactical methods of the programming language as well as their interface to the programming world. Computer programming for the novice requires the understanding of a variety of different areas such as logic and mathematical concepts, syntax, the language interface, algorithms, flowcharts, and pseudocode associated with programming theory, which can overwhelm the learner and increase levels of stress and frustration (cognitive load). The central theme of this research was to examine the effects of scaffolding tools on cognitive load levels as participants completed laboratory assignments within a Visual Basic for Applications programming course, and to compare final course grades in Phase I and Phase II of the research. Participants were asked to evaluate their cognitive load as they completed assignments throughout the course. Course grades were also collected because all students in Phase I of the research eventually received the scaffolding tool prior to the final exam. Phase I of this study showed that within the major groups of online and face-to-face learners, and the subgroups of treatment and control, some benefit (as determined by the statistical means) was obtained by the use of the scaffolding tool to reduce cognitive load and improve laboratory scores. In the second phase of this research the students did not receive the scaffolding tool. A comparison of Phase I and Phase II indicates that the Group with the Scaffolding Tool (Phase I) experienced lower levels of cognitive load and attained higher laboratory and course scores than did the Group without the Scaffolding Tool.

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“…Literature cites two fundamental issues related to teaching programming: the selection of a programming language and the most effective approach for teaching computer programming (Al-lmamy, Alizadeh & Nour, 2006;Ottaway, & Chang, 2006;Parker, Chao). We focus on the teaching approach, which continues to be problematic as educators experiment with various paradigms in an attempt to enhance engagement of students.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%