The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of a Synchronous Online CS1

Abstract

This poster illustrates how we redesigned the CS1 course for Math undergraduates to be held online but reflecting the face-to-face (F2F) experience as much as possible. We describe the course structure and the strategies we implemented to maintain the benefits of a synchronous experience. We present the positive and negative aspects that emerged from the students' opinion analysis. We highlight what worked, what did not, and what can be improved to strengthen the perception of a F2F experience and mitigate the "presence paradox" we found: although students are enthusiastic about the online format, most would still prefer a F2F course.

Remote and In-Person Learning: Utility Versus Social Experience

“…Students reported better student-teacher interaction, a higher concentration level, and more effective teamwork when in the classroom. However, some academic teachers considered needing more resources and training [45] to perform effectively in the remote digital environment.…”

“…In most of the studies, the students preferred in-person education. This was manifested as a lack of interest in continuing with the online mode [2]; positive emotions during face to face classes [44,49]; preference for face to face albeit the initial enthusiasm with the online format [45]; significant reluctance towards emergency remote teaching from first-year students [50]; and problems with the withdrawal of the teacher in remote assessment [51].…”

“…In that respect, the disruption of social relationships has affected both the students and the teachers [2]. Especially for the students, the unmediated social interactions (didactic and socio-relational) with instructors and peers [45] has been described as a reason for preferring the in-person modality. The students considered that the in-person courses enhance their ability to connect and interact with their teachers [46].…”