Presented by:
Joseph Ekong
Key Statement:
Educators can support students to overcome learning anxiety challenges. This presentation will focus on actionable strategies to aid students’ learning anxiety concerns in programming courses.
Keywords:
Learning Anxiety, Collaborative Learning, Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces
Abstract:
This session explores collaborative teaching and learning strategies that could be used to improve students’ performance in first-year introductory programming courses. Writing effective computer programs to solve real-world problems is a vital skill for engineers. Students’ anxiety with mathematics-related and programming courses have been shown to negatively impact self-efficacy and optimal skills uptake.
This presentation explores how collaborative learning strategies such as write-pair-share (WPS) and vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS) can be utilized to reduce students’ anxiety in introductory programming courses. Topics discussed will provide educators with the tools and strategies to positively impact students’ learning anxiety in challenging first-year courses.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Identify the challenges faced by students with inadequate mathematical and computational background in learning introductory programming courses.
2. Identify the role of educators in assisting students to overcome learning anxiety associated with mathematical and computationally challenging courses.
3. Explore evidence-based strategies that can be adopted to aid in ameliorating students’ anxiety while learning mathematical and computationally challenging courses.
Hear it from the author:
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello, thank you for your interest in our research poster. The title of the research project is
“Addressing Student Learning Anxiety with Mathematics-Based Introductory
Programming Courses”.
The study investigates the impact of collaborative learning strategies on anxiety reduction for
students taking introductory programming courses.
The primary study objective was to assess the impact of collaborative learning strategies such as
Write-Pair-Share (WPS) and Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces (VNPS) on students’ confidence
and anxiety reduction with learning introductory programming courses. In addition, the
effectiveness of the intervention in reducing students’ anxiety and improving students’ confidence
with introductory programming for students without prior programming experience was explored.
A learning intervention was designed for the study and a modified version of the Attitudes Towards
Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) survey was used to access students’ anxiety.
Findings from the study showed that collaborative learning strategies used as teaching
interventions was effective at improving students’ confidence in their programming skills and
ability to solve open-ended programming problems. Also, a significant improvement in
programming ability and confidence was observed among students with no prior programming
experience.
REFERENCES:
Jiang, H., Turnbull, D., Wang, X., Chugh, R., Dou, Y., & Chen, S. (2022). How do mathematics interest and self-efficacy influence coding interest and self-efficacy? A structural equation modeling analysis. International Journal of Educational Research, 115, 102058.
Ekong, J., Chauhan, V., Osedeme, J., & Niknam, S. (2022, August). A framework for Industry 4.0 workforce training through project-based and experiential learning approaches. In 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Murray, L., Ekong, J., Niknam, S., & Rust, M. (2022, August). A Framework for Implementing Design for Additive Manufacturing Methods in First-Year Engineering Curriculum: Investigating the effects of specialized training on engineering design and student self-efficacy. In 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
Lim, S. Y., & Chapman, E. (2013). Development of a short form of the attitudes toward mathematics inventory. Educational studies in mathematics, 82, 145-164.