Strategies for Improving a Java-based, First Year Programming Course

View/ Open
Author(s)
Blumenstein, Michael
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2002
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This paper describes the evolution of a first year Java course at Griffith University-Gold Coast since Semester 1, 2000 to the December 2002. The course was updated to emphasise program design and to implement and evaluate an "objects-as-needed" approach to first year programming. A number of strategies were tested to increase consistency amongst teaching staff, improve delivery of course resources, successfully cater to a wide variety of students and to enhance the learning experience in general. The success of the revised course has been measured by evaluating student feedback and performance. Currently, a focus group-based ...
View more >This paper describes the evolution of a first year Java course at Griffith University-Gold Coast since Semester 1, 2000 to the December 2002. The course was updated to emphasise program design and to implement and evaluate an "objects-as-needed" approach to first year programming. A number of strategies were tested to increase consistency amongst teaching staff, improve delivery of course resources, successfully cater to a wide variety of students and to enhance the learning experience in general. The success of the revised course has been measured by evaluating student feedback and performance. Currently, a focus group-based strategy of evaluation is being adopted to determine students' attitudes to the most recently implemented changes.
View less >
View more >This paper describes the evolution of a first year Java course at Griffith University-Gold Coast since Semester 1, 2000 to the December 2002. The course was updated to emphasise program design and to implement and evaluate an "objects-as-needed" approach to first year programming. A number of strategies were tested to increase consistency amongst teaching staff, improve delivery of course resources, successfully cater to a wide variety of students and to enhance the learning experience in general. The success of the revised course has been measured by evaluating student feedback and performance. Currently, a focus group-based strategy of evaluation is being adopted to determine students' attitudes to the most recently implemented changes.
View less >
Conference Title
Proceedings of the International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE 2002)
Copyright Statement
© 2002 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE.