ABSTRACT
The Postgraduage Certificate in Information Technology at the University of Auckland is a bootcamp-style transition programme for students without prior programming experience. The programme's part-time variant, designed for working professionals, has traditionally been offered with intensive evening classes, with extensive tutor and instructor support. Spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic, our University has moved this part-time variant fully online. Benefits of the online offering include a wider, more inclusive audience and flexibility of student learning schedules. However, it has introduced several pedagogical challenges, including but not limited to how instructors can continue to provide meaningful support, feedback, and student engagement in an online environment. In this paper, we reflect on our experience, analyse qualitative and quantitative feedback such as student evaluations and grades, and provide recommendations for those wishing to undertake a similar transformation in the future. © 2023 ACM.
ABSTRACT
Full research paper - In this paper, we report on the development of a succinct and easy-to-administer 11-item scale that quantifies students' self-efficacy, social aspect, independence, and meaning of studies, with a focus on introductory programming studies. The scale has been constructed using exploratory factor analysis of survey response data collected from students attending introductory programming courses offered by two universities. We evaluate the scale by using it to examine differences between university contexts, and assess to what extent the scale relates to students' perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on studies, prior programming experience, self-assessed competence, and seeking help. Our evaluation of the scale suggests that social aspect was correlated with being more strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the perceived ability to work independently was correlated with reduced influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior programming experience was positively correlated with self-perceived ability to work independently and with self-efficacy. Similarly, self-estimated competence was positively correlated with self-efficacy. Finally, social aspect and meaning of studies were positively correlated with help-seeking. Our evaluations show that the scale holds promise as a new tool for researchers and practitioners seeking to improve understanding of their study contexts. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Pair programming is an active learning technique with several benefits to students, including increasing participation and improving outcomes, particularly for female computer science students. However, most of the literature highlights the effects of pair programming in introductory courses, where students have different prior programming experience and thus may experience group issues. This work analyzes the effect of pair programming in an upper-level computer science course, where students have a more consistent background education, particularly in languages learned and coding best practices. Secondly, the effect of remote pair programming on student outcomes is still an open question of increasing importance with the advent of Covid-19. This work utilized split sections with a control and treatment group in a large, public university. In addition to comparing pair programming to individual programming, results were analyzed by modality (remote vs. in person) and by gender, focusing on how pair programming benefits female computer science students in confidence, persistence in the major, and outcomes. We found that pair programming groups scored higher on assignments and exams, that remote pair programming groups performed as well as in person groups, and that female students increased their confidence in asking questions in class and scored 12% higher in the course when utilizing pair programming. © 2022 ACM.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the suspension of face-to-face classes;therefore, greater importance has been given to virtual education. For this reason, it is important to review the new situations in the programming teaching process. This paper aims to interpret the experiences lived by teachers in in the subjects of Fundamentals of Programming and Data Structure in the implementation of virtual education in times of COVID-19 in the Technological Institutes Decentralized from the State of Zacatecas, for this reason, the quantitative, non-experimental research was used. The instrument used was a digital survey addressed to teachers from the Technological Institutes. According to the results obtained, the main problems during virtual education were the lack of connection by geographical location and the lack of adaptation to virtual education. Teaching virtual programming was a good pedagogical experience, the teachers expressed that they gave personalized attention in small groups;however, they mentioned that it was difficult to measure the student's progress, and the subject contents were not seen with the required degree of complexity. For teaching programming, teachers used platforms such as Moodle, Classroom and Microsoft Teams, virtual classrooms such as Meet and Zoom and digital resources such as videos, presentations and practical manuals. The most important challenges are to have the infrastructure required for the implementation of virtual classes, and the responsibility, commitment and initiative by teachers and students. © 2021 IEEE.