Leo Porter
Mark Guzdial
Charlie McDowell
Abstract
How pair programming, peer instruction, and media computation have improved computer science education.
- Bennedsen, J. and Caspersen, M.E. Failure rates in introductory programming. SIGCSE Bull. 39, 2 (2007), 32--36. Google Scholar
Digital Library
- Guzdial, M. and Elliott Tew, A. Imagineering inauthentic legitimate peripheral participation: An instructional design approach for motivating computing education. In Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Computing Education Research. (2006). Google ScholarDigital Library
- McDowell, C., Werner, L., Bullock, H.E., and Fernald, J. Pair programming improves student retention, confidence, and program quality. Commun. ACM 49, 8 (Aug. 2006), 90--95; DOI: 10.1145/1145287.1145293. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Porter, L. and Simon, B. Fostering creativity in CS1 by hosting a computer science art show. ACM Inroads (Mar. 2013). Google ScholarDigital Library
- Porter, L. and Simon, B. Retaining nearly one-third more majors with a trio of instructional best practices in CS1. In Proceedings of the 44th Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education Technical Symposium (2013). Google ScholarDigital Library
Index Terms
- Success in introductory programming: what works?
Recommendations
The impact of math preparedness on introductory programming (CS1) success (abstract only)
SIGCSE '14: Proceedings of the 45th ACM technical symposium on Computer science educationAt our university, like at many other institutions, the pass rate in the introductory programming (CS1) course is relatively low, in the approximate range of 50% to 75%. We would like to discover factors that have an impact on student success in ...
Introductory programming at Cornell
Proceedings of the 3rd SIGCSE symposium on Computer science educationThe computer science department at Cornell is a graduate department. Approximately sixty degree candidates are formally enrolled in the computer science degree program, nearly all of them as Ph.D. candidates. There is no formal undergraduate major in ...
Improving the student success and retention of under achiever students in introductory computer science
In many universities, student success and retention in computer science are an ongoing concern to faculty. Finding best practices to improve the success and retention rate of less than the best students, has been a particular challenge. This study, ...
Reviews
Stewart Mark Godwin
Introductory computer science (CS) and programing courses have universally recorded high rates of failure, which directly impact the pathway options into second- and third-year courses. This article addresses the problem using three teaching methods: pair programming, media computation, and peer instruction. The authors used these teaching approaches over a four-year period, during which time they were able to document higher levels of student retention and success in course outcomes. The reasoning behind the success of the research suggests that, while programming is perceived as asocial, pair programming improved the collaboration and discussion between pairs of students. Furthermore, the media computation method was found to contextualize the course materials and engage students in areas that were relevant and meaningful. Finally, peer instruction has been a tried and tested instructional method used in the classroom for many decades. The authors dismiss the suggestion that these methods made the courses too easy or dumbed down, noting that "there is no great virtue in a difficult course that flunks out students." I recommend this paper to lecturers in CS who seek a fresh approach to programming courses. Online Computing Reviews Service
Access critical reviews of Computing literature here
Become a reviewer for Computing Reviews.
Comments