Presented by:
Rudolph Bedeley
Key Statement:
In this study, we examine problem context role to investigate if engaging students in meaningful context would make a difference in their programming course success.
Keywords:
Programming, Student Success, Context
Abstract:
Students perceive programming to be taught in a very abstract manner making it difficult to relate to, and lack of ability to help people. In this study, based on grounding from situated learning theory, we examine if engaging students in meaningful context would make a difference in the programming course success. Thus, we explore the following research questions: a). Do involving students in programming projects with social context increase their task satisfaction, confidence in performance, intrinsic motivation, IT identity and the level of programming self-efficacy? b) How does the students’ perception about the project context impact these outcomes?
Learning Outcomes:
1. Investigate whether working on a programming task helps students improve their programming self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and IT identify by comparing a pre- and post-survey conditions.
2. Examine how programming self-efficacy, motivation, IT identity impacts solution quality, confidence in performance, and task satisfaction, and whether or not the project context moderate these relationships.
3. Learn and adapt new approaches to teaching programming courses in a way that is easier for students to understand and apply.
Hear it from the author:
TRANSCRIPT:
Hi everyone!
My name is Dr. Rudolph Bedeley, and I’m an Assistant Professor from Belmont University. Today I’m presenting my study entitled, “Examining Problem Context Role in Improving Students Programming Success.”
My motivation is that students have struggled a lot when it comes to programming. And so, I’m moved by this challenge and for the fact that I want to help in way that student will be successful when it comes to programming. So I’m trying to address two research questions, one is asking: (1) Do involving students in programming projects with social context increase their task satisfaction?, and the other one asks: (2) How does the students’ perception about the project context impact these outcomes?
I’m addressing these research questions using multiple theories such as situational learning theory, self-efficacy theory, motivation theory and identity theory. I proposed a research model that actually looks at problem context as a moderation or moderating construct that moderates the relationship between the antecedents and the consequences in my research model as shown in my poster.
And so, to answer or address my research questions I’m using an experimental research approach or design and I have currently collected some preliminary data which involves 81 students. Initially, 66 students were involved in a pilot study. I have run some t-test analysis which compares a pre- and post- experimental data and so far what I’m finding is that “context’ do play a significant role.
REFERENCES:
Anderson, J. R., Reder, L. M., & Simon, H. A. (1996). Situated learning and education. Educational researcher, 25(4), 5-11.
Hostetler, T. R. (1983). Predicting student success in an introductory programming course. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 15(3), 40-43.
Malik, S. I. (2018). Improvements in Introductory Programming Course: Action Research Insights and Outcomes. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 1-20
Porter, L., Guzdial, M., McDowell, C., & Simon, B. (2013). Success in introductory programming: what works?. Communications of the ACM, 56(8), 34-36