Learning edge momentum: a new account of outcomes in CS1

Robins, Anthony

doi:10.1080/08993401003612167

Cited by 200 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…However, research results have shown that a large group of students do not attain the level of skills set by the teaching goals of the programming courses and fail to learn programming skills at an acceptable level (see, for example, Dehnadi & Bornat, 2006). Robins (2010) suggested that the reasons behind this phenomenon remain unexplained. The results in this study have shown that students with different backgrounds view programming differently and have different learning preferences.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An in-depth analysis of learning goals in higher education: Evidence from the programming education

Xia¹

2017

JLD

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Robins (2010) emphasised that the quality of learning can be improved by setting specific and measurable learning goals. These goals are especially important in programming education and there is a pressing need for further research (Krathwohl, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An in-depth analysis of learning goals in higher education: Evidence from the programming education

Xia¹

2017

JLD

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“…This may be partly due to the nature of the topic (programming courses often have bimodal outcomes [Robins 2010]. Note also that at each level more students attempt the implementation standards (1.46 and 2.46) than planning (1.45 and 2.45), a difference of 1,334 at level 1 and 311 at level 2.…”

Section: Motivation Of Students and Teachersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research on teaching introductory programming had been carried out at the university of Otago since the early 2000s, which provided considerable background to inform the design of school programming standards [Robins et al 2003;Rountree et al 2004;Garner et al 2005;Robins 2010].…”

Section: Research Funding Education Policies Quality Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case Study of the Introduction of Computer Science in NZ Schools

Bell

Andreae

Robins

2014

ACM Trans. Comput. Educ.

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For many years computing in New Zealand schools was focused on teaching students how to use computers, and there was little opportunity for students to learn about programming and computer science as formal subjects. In this paper we review a series of initiatives that occurred from 2007 to 2009 that led to programming and computer science being made available formally as part of the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA), the main school-leaving assessment, in 2011. The changes were phased in from 2011 to 2013, and we review this process using the Darmstadt model, including describing the context of the school system, the socio-cultural factors in play before, during and after the changes, the nature of the new standards, the reactions and roles of the various stakeholders, and the teaching materials and methods that developed. The changes occurred very quickly, and we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having such a rapid process. In all these changes, teachers have emerged as having a central role, as they have been key in instigating and implementing change.

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“…Given that the superbug represents the lack of the kind of conceptual understanding inherent in a threshold concept [9] or crucial to maintaining learning edge momentum [11], it is essential that it is addressed as early as possible in a programming course, and that learning designs maintain an emphasis on the Block Model's structural aspect of program comprehension as well as the functional aspect.…”

Section: Emphasising the Use Of Formal Languages In Cs Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Code or (not code)

Cutts

Connor

Michaelson

et al. 2014

Proceedings of the 9th Workshop in Primary and Secondary Computing Education

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This paper argues that the "institutionalised understanding" of pseudo-code as a blend of formal and natural languages makes it an unsuitable choice for national assessment where the intention is to test program comprehension skills. It permits question-setters to inadvertently introduce a level of ambiguity and consequent confusion. This is not in keeping with either good assessment practice or an argument developed in the paper that CS education should be clearly fostering the skills needed for understanding formal, as distinct from natural, languages. The argument is backed up by an analysis of 49 questions drawn from the national school CS examinations of a single country, spanning a period of six years and two phases -the first in which no formal pseudocode was defined, the second in which a formal reference language, referred to as a "formally-defined pseudo-code", was provided for teachers and exam setters. The analysis demonstrates that in both phases, incorrect, confusing or ambiguous code was presented in questions. The paper concludes by recommending that the term reference language should be used in place of pseudo-code, and an appropriate formally-defined language specified, in national exam settings where a common language of assessment is required,. This change of terms emphasises the characteristics required of a language to be used for assessment of program comprehension. The reference language used in the study is outlined. It was designed by the authors for human readability and also to make absolutely explicit the demarcation between formal and informal language, in such a way that automated checking can be carried out on programs written in the language. Formal specifications and a checker for the language are available.

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Learning edge momentum: a new account of outcomes in CS1

Cited by 200 publications

References 48 publications

An in-depth analysis of learning goals in higher education: Evidence from the programming education

An in-depth analysis of learning goals in higher education: Evidence from the programming education

A Case Study of the Introduction of Computer Science in NZ Schools

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