Improving learning outcomes for first year introductory programming students
Abstract
The first year transition to university can be particularly difficult for students in technical degree programmes such as Information Technology (IT). These programmes are generally acknowledged to have high attrition rates. It has been suggested that poor understanding of threshold concepts in introductory computer programming courses may be partly responsible for this attrition. The current project attempts to improve student learning outcomes for the computer assignment threshold concept. To achieve this outcome, an innovative visualisation application was developed and incorporated into the curriculum of a first semester ...
View more >The first year transition to university can be particularly difficult for students in technical degree programmes such as Information Technology (IT). These programmes are generally acknowledged to have high attrition rates. It has been suggested that poor understanding of threshold concepts in introductory computer programming courses may be partly responsible for this attrition. The current project attempts to improve student learning outcomes for the computer assignment threshold concept. To achieve this outcome, an innovative visualisation application was developed and incorporated into the curriculum of a first semester first year introductory programming course. Substantially improved student learning outcomes were observed after its successful deployment. Subsequent tracking indicates the innovation continues to successfully scaffold student learning of the computer assignment threshold concept.
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View more >The first year transition to university can be particularly difficult for students in technical degree programmes such as Information Technology (IT). These programmes are generally acknowledged to have high attrition rates. It has been suggested that poor understanding of threshold concepts in introductory computer programming courses may be partly responsible for this attrition. The current project attempts to improve student learning outcomes for the computer assignment threshold concept. To achieve this outcome, an innovative visualisation application was developed and incorporated into the curriculum of a first semester first year introductory programming course. Substantially improved student learning outcomes were observed after its successful deployment. Subsequent tracking indicates the innovation continues to successfully scaffold student learning of the computer assignment threshold concept.
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Conference Title
Proceedings of the 17th International First Year in Higher Education Conference
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2014. The attached file is posted here with permission of the copyright owners for your personal use only. No further distribution permitted. For information about this conference please refer to the publisher’s website or contact the authors.
Subject
Technology not elsewhere classified