Authors:
William T. Tarimo
;
Fatima Abu Deeb
and
Timothy J. Hickey
Affiliation:
Brandeis University, United States
Keyword(s):
Flipped Classroom, Blended Learning, Computer-Mediated-Communication, Pedagogy Design, Teaching Introductory Computer Science, Educational Technologies, Web-based IDEs.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support Systems
;
Authoring Tools and Content Development
;
Blended Learning
;
Classroom Management
;
Computer-Supported Education
;
Course Design and e-Learning Curriculae
;
Educating the Educators
;
e-Learning
;
e-Learning Hardware and Software
;
Enterprise Information Systems
;
Higher Order Thinking Skills
;
Immersive Learning
;
Immersive Learning and Multimedia Applications
;
Information Technologies Supporting Learning
;
Instructional Design
;
Intelligent Tutoring Systems
;
Learning Analytics
;
Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment
;
Metrics and Performance Measurement
;
Social Context and Learning Environments
Abstract:
There are two basic approaches to flipping an introduction to programming class (CS1). One involves
requiring all students to bring computers to class and to work alone or in groups to solve programming
problems. The other approach is to ban computers from the classroom and to require students to solve
programming problems on paper. In both approaches the students’ attempts are shared with the class and
discussed. In this work, we describe an experiment in which we compared these two approaches for a large
programming class. We found that the use of computers had no statistically significant effect on the
students’ learning outcomes, enjoyment of the material, self-assessment of their understanding, use of
teaching assistant resources, or self-estimate of how many hours they invested outside of the classroom. We
did find that a statistically significant number of students preferred problem solving with friends using
computers rather than on paper. We also found that the instructor ha
d much more detailed information about
individual student’s interaction in class when computers were used, since all student interaction with the
coding tools could be logged and analysed. We conclude that, although many faculty are wary of requiring
computer use in large classes, there is evidence that students prefer it, it does not negatively affect learning
outcomes, and with appropriate tools and pedagogy, it gives the instructor a much deeper and more nuanced
view of student performance in the class.
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