a melding of educational strategies to enhance the introductory programming course

FIE 2005FIE 2005Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana

School of Computer and Information School of Computer and Information Sciences Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 3668836688

A Melding of A Melding of Educational Strategies to Educational Strategies to Enhance the Introductory Enhance the Introductory

Programming CourseProgramming Course

Leo F. Denton, Dawn Leo F. Denton, Dawn McKinney, and Michael V. McKinney, and Michael V.

DoranDoran

http://www.southalabama.edu/


School of Computer and Information Sciences School of Computer and Information Sciences University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688

CS1 Course:CS1 Course:Introduction to Programming Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving Conceptsand Problem Solving ConceptsCourse formatCourse format 4 credit hours4 credit hours 15 week semester15 week semester One 75-minute and One 75-minute and

three 50-minute three 50-minute sessions (or three 75 sessions (or three 75 minute sessions)minute sessions)

Integrated lecture Integrated lecture and laboratory and laboratory

Topics Topics Problem solving Problem solving

strategiesstrategies Programming conceptsProgramming concepts Internal Internal

representations of representations of datadata

Control structuresControl structures Use of IDEUse of IDE MethodsMethods ArraysArrays OOP basics.OOP basics.




PaperPaper View of several techniques View of several techniques

described and studied described and studied separately in prior papers separately in prior papers

Principal elements Principal elements Cognitive course frameworkCognitive course framework Motivational strategiesMotivational strategies Affective objectivesAffective objectives Adjusting course content for novice Adjusting course content for novice

learnerslearners Refining and organizing course contentRefining and organizing course content




Denton, L. F. and McKinney, D. “Affective Factors and Student Achievement: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study,” 34th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Savannah, GA, October 20 – 23, 2004.

Denton, L. F., D. McKinney, and M. V. Doran. “Promoting Student Achievement With Integrated Affective Objectives,” American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, 2003.

Denton, L. F., M. V. Doran, and D. McKinney. “Integrated Use of Bloom and Maslow for Instructional Success in Technical and Scientific Fields,” in the Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, Montreal, Canada, 2002.

Doran, M. V. and D. D. Langan. “A Cognitive-Based Approach to Introductory Computer Science Courses: Lessons Learned.” in the Proceedings of the 26th SISCSE Technical Symposium On Computer Science Education, March 1995, Nashville, TN, pp. 218-222.




McKinney, D. and Denton, L. F. “Affective Assessment of Team Skills in Agile CS1 Labs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” Proceedings of the 36th SISCSE Technical Symposium On Computer Science Education, St. Louis, MO, February 2005.

McKinney, D. and Denton, L. F., “Houston, we have a problem: there’s a leak in the CS1 affective oxygen tank,” Proceedings of the 35th SISCSE Technical Symposium On Computer Science Education, March, Norfolk, VA, 2004.

McKinney, D., Froeseth, J., Robertson, J., Denton, L. F., and Ensminger, D. “Agile CS1 Labs: eXtreme Programming Practices in an Introductory Programming Course,” Proceedings of XP/Agile Universe 2004.




Principal FindingsPrincipal Findings Course achievement correlates with affective Course achievement correlates with affective

factorsfactors Student interestStudent interest Belonging Belonging EffortEffort

Affective factors often decrease during the Affective factors often decrease during the semestersemester

Sections using systematic affective objectives and Sections using systematic affective objectives and strategies have higher levels of affective factors strategies have higher levels of affective factors and higher course completion ratesand higher course completion rates

Affective factors impact all students including Affective factors impact all students including women and minoritieswomen and minorities

Internalization of professional practices can be Internalization of professional practices can be accomplished in introductory courses and accomplished in introductory courses and correlates with higher course gradescorrelates with higher course grades

Lack of pressureLack of pressure Perceived competencePerceived competence ValueValue




Principal Principal Assessment InstrumentsAssessment Instruments

QuantitativeQuantitative Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI)Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) Institutional Integration ScaleInstitutional Integration Scale Anderson-Butcher Belonging ScaleAnderson-Butcher Belonging Scale

QualitativeQualitative Comparative-reflective surveysComparative-reflective surveys Peer EvaluationsPeer Evaluations BAM chart BAM chart




Bloom-based Bloom-based Cognitive FrameworkCognitive Framework

Levels:Levels: KnowledgeKnowledge ComprehensionComprehension ApplicationApplication AnalysisAnalysis SynthesisSynthesis EvaluationEvaluation

Benefits:Benefits: Standards-Standards-

based approachbased approach Clear Clear

expectationsexpectations TransferabilityTransferability Content-Content-

centeredcentered




Something’s Amiss …Something’s Amiss …

Overall resultsOverall results Low course completion ratesLow course completion rates Low student satisfactionLow student satisfaction

Three types of studentsThree types of students Non-achievers - Non-achievers - students students

not meeting course objectivesnot meeting course objectives Survivors - Survivors - passed with significant passed with significant

frustrations and low motivationfrustrations and low motivation Excellers Excellers - achieved cognitively, were - achieved cognitively, were

motivated, and internalized course motivated, and internalized course objectivesobjectives




Obstacles to Achievement, Obstacles to Achievement, Retention, and RecruitmentRetention, and Recruitment

Non-sustained student interestNon-sustained student interest Inadequate faculty and peer supportInadequate faculty and peer support Inadequate prior knowledgeInadequate prior knowledge Attraction of other disciplinesAttraction of other disciplines Intimidating atmosphereIntimidating atmosphere Difficulty of disciplineDifficulty of discipline Poor teachingPoor teaching Large class sizesLarge class sizes Personal problemsPersonal problems




MotivationMotivation

Impacts physical process Impacts physical process of learning in the brainof learning in the brain

Promotes individual Promotes individual growthgrowth

Increases group Increases group effectivenesseffectiveness

Leads to higher time-on- Leads to higher time-on- task and overall learningtask and overall learning




Motivational StrategiesMotivational Strategies Commitments to quality Commitments to quality Discussion approachDiscussion approach

Most desired qualities from the National Most desired qualities from the National Association of Colleges and EmployersAssociation of Colleges and Employers

Armstrong – each person’s potential for geniusArmstrong – each person’s potential for genius Helen Keller – persistence and promiseHelen Keller – persistence and promise Polya, Maslow, KrathwohlPolya, Maslow, Krathwohl

Reflection approach Reflection approach Goal-settingGoal-setting Time managementTime management Self-regulationSelf-regulation




BAM ChartBAM Chart




Krathwohl-basedKrathwohl-basedAffective FrameworkAffective Framework

Benefits Benefits Standards-based Standards-based

approachapproach Transition at-risk Transition at-risk

students to excellersstudents to excellers Achieve valuing Achieve valuing

rather than rather than compliancecompliance

Enhance personal Enhance personal identification with identification with disciplinediscipline

TransferabilityTransferability Learner-centeredLearner-centered

LevelsLevels ReceivingReceiving RespondingResponding ValuingValuing OrganizationOrganization CharacterizatiCharacterizati

onon




Examples of Affective Examples of Affective ObjectivesObjectives

Receiving: Students come to class ready and willing Receiving: Students come to class ready and willing to programto program

Responding: Students turn in assignments that Responding: Students turn in assignments that follow coding and documentation standards of the follow coding and documentation standards of the class class

Valuing:Valuing: Students recommend the use of Polya’s problem-solving Students recommend the use of Polya’s problem-solving

strategy to fellow classmates who are having difficulty strategy to fellow classmates who are having difficulty solving a problem. solving a problem.

Students value the efficiency that can be gained from Students value the efficiency that can be gained from effective algorithms, data structures such as arrays, and effective algorithms, data structures such as arrays, and problem-solving techniques.problem-solving techniques.

Students prefer to use arrays to solve problems rather than Students prefer to use arrays to solve problems rather than using non-aggregate data items when appropriate. using non-aggregate data items when appropriate.

Organization: Students develop habits of reflective Organization: Students develop habits of reflective problem solving as it relates to developing softwareproblem solving as it relates to developing software




The Intellectual Challenge The Intellectual Challenge RemainsRemains

Mostly first time programmers and a Mostly first time programmers and a few experienced hackersfew experienced hackers

Instructors have expert tacit Instructors have expert tacit knowledge that is not easily knowledge that is not easily decomposed into distinct decomposed into distinct Computational Computational

concepts concepts Programming language Programming language

syntaxsyntax Problem solving Problem solving

methodologiesmethodologies




Moving Novices Moving Novices Toward Expert Understanding Toward Expert Understanding

Soloway’s methodologySoloway’s methodology Explore and evaluate multiple data representation Explore and evaluate multiple data representation Explore and evaluate multiple problem decompositionsExplore and evaluate multiple problem decompositions Select and compose a particular solutionSelect and compose a particular solution Implement solutionImplement solution Reflect on the solution and the processReflect on the solution and the process

Minimizing cognitive overloadMinimizing cognitive overload Zone of proximate development – VygotskyZone of proximate development – Vygotsky Spiral coverage – BrunerSpiral coverage – Bruner Subsumption learning – AusebelSubsumption learning – Ausebel Treat computational concepts, syntax, and problem-Treat computational concepts, syntax, and problem-

solving dimensions separately even when there is solving dimensions separately even when there is overlapoverlap




Organizing and Refining Organizing and Refining Content Content

Instructional templatesInstructional templates Whitehead’s rhythm of educationWhitehead’s rhythm of education Keller’s ARCS modelKeller’s ARCS model Gagné’s nine events of instructionGagné’s nine events of instruction

Support for various learning stylesSupport for various learning styles Relevant contentRelevant content

InterestingInteresting Related to professional developmentRelated to professional development

Feedback from studentsFeedback from students




Whitehead’s Whitehead’s Rhythms of EducationRhythms of Education

Cyclical Periods of LearningCyclical Periods of Learning Romance period Romance period

Fascination with the broad significance of the ideaFascination with the broad significance of the idea Motivation to actively pursue the more rigorous learningMotivation to actively pursue the more rigorous learning

Precision periodPrecision period Mastery of Mastery of data collection techniques, notations, data collection techniques, notations,

proceduresprocedures Development of relevant problem-solving strategiesDevelopment of relevant problem-solving strategies Near transferNear transfer

GeneralizationGeneralization Realized patterns, meaning, and general applicationsRealized patterns, meaning, and general applications Understanding of the worth of the learningUnderstanding of the worth of the learning Far transferFar transfer




Keller’s ARCS ModelKeller’s ARCS Model AAttentionttention

IncongruityIncongruity Inquiry/participationInquiry/participation ConcretenessConcreteness HumorHumor

RRelevanceelevance Experience / modelingExperience / modeling Present / future worthPresent / future worth Power / affiliation / Power / affiliation /

achievement achievement perspectivesperspectives

Needs matchingNeeds matching

CConfidenceonfidence Organization of Organization of

contentcontent Clear Clear

requirementsrequirements Positive Positive

attributionsattributions ChoiceChoice

SSatisfactionatisfaction Natural and Natural and

unexpected unexpected rewardsrewards




Gagné’s Nine Events of Gagné’s Nine Events of InstructionInstruction

Gain attentionGain attention Inform learner of Inform learner of

objectivesobjectives Stimulate recall of Stimulate recall of

prior learningprior learning Present contentPresent content Provide guidance Provide guidance

to learnersto learners

Get the learners to Get the learners to practice / performpractice / perform

Provide feedbackProvide feedback Assess learnersAssess learners Enhance retention Enhance retention

of what was of what was learned and learned and transfertransfer




Balance TeachingBalance TeachingTo Match Multiple Learning To Match Multiple Learning

StylesStyles




Concept Map ExampleConcept Map Example




Recap and Concluding Recap and Concluding RemarksRemarks

Principal elements of wholePrincipal elements of whole Cognitive course frameworkCognitive course framework Motivational strategiesMotivational strategies Affective objectivesAffective objectives Adjusting course content for novice learnersAdjusting course content for novice learners Refining and organizing course contentRefining and organizing course content

Incremental implementationIncremental implementation Positive faculty cross-training and Positive faculty cross-training and

developmentdevelopment Course completion ratesCourse completion rates




Leo F. DentonLeo F. [email protected]@usouthal.edu

Dawn McKinneyDawn [email protected]@usouthal.edu

Michael V. DoranMichael V. [email protected]@usouthal.edu

http://www.cis.usouthal.edu/~mckinney/FIE2005CS1.ppthttp://www.cis.usouthal.edu/~mckinney/FIE2005CS1.ppt

mailto:[email protected]



http://www.cis.usouthal.edu/~mckinney/FIE2005CS1.ppt


a melding of educational strategies to enhance the introductory programming course

Documents

cs1 course

computer science education

course contentdenton

education conference

siscse technical symposium

cs1 affective oxygen

student achievement

agile cs1 labs