A LARGE-SCALE PILOT STUDY ON GAME-BASED LEARNING AND BLENDED LEARNING METHODOLOGIES IN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMING COURSES
A LARGE-SCALE PILOT STUDY ON GAME-BASED LEARNING AND BLENDED LEARNING METHODOLOGIES IN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMING COURSES
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本科编程课程中基于游戏的学习和混合学习方法的大规模试点研究
DOI：
10.21125/edulearn.2018.0948
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发表时间：
2018
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Cristina Hava Muntean
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Dan Zhao;Adriana E. Chis;Gabriel;Cristina Hava Muntean
在本文中，我们提出了一个大规模的试点的牛顿项目，其中technologyenhanced学习材料和创新的教学方法被引入到编程课程在欧洲3所大学。这一大规模活动为期12周，有150多人参加。为了使其他困难和抽象的编程概念更吸引学生，我们设计和开发了四个严重的游戏，针对不同的主题，即变量声明;循环;函数;和数据结构。在每个严肃的游戏中，编程知识和关键概念都以互动和具体的方式呈现，以激发学生在学习过程中的参与和兴趣，并提高他们的学习效果。该试点还在其中一个主题（即阵列）中采用了以学生为中心的教学法和混合学习方法。学生们不是直接参加讲座，而是参加翻转课堂，即，通过在线NEWTON项目平台观看讲师准备的视频课程，并准备他们的问题，然后在讲座中讨论。在随后的实验课中，学生们通过三人小组讨论与数组相关的开放式问题，进一步获得知识并练习解决问题和编程技能。在这个过程中，与传统的以教师为中心的教育方式相反，学生们正在采取主动，并对他们的学习进度有更多的控制权。在试点之前，向参与者提供了涵盖人口统计问题和情感状态问题的问卷，这有助于我们了解他们的背景以及对该主题的一般态度和动机。为了评估试点内容和方法的有效性，在每个严肃的游戏和视频内容之前和之后进行了前测试和后测试，其中包括与主题相关的几个单项选择题。此外，在每个游戏和视频之后都会使用可用性调查问卷来衡量参与者的满意度。在本文中，上述问卷的结果进行了分析。结果表明，技术增强的学习材料有助于澄清抽象概念，从而使学生能够克服学习STEM科目时的困难。结果显示，54%的成年学生和74%的年轻学生希望在学习STEM科目时在课堂上使用更多的技术。
In this paper, we present a large-scale pilot of the NEWTON project, in which both technologyenhanced learning materials and innovative pedagogical approaches are introduced into programming courses in 3 universities across Europe. This large-scale covered a 12 weeks’ period, with more than 150 participants. Aiming at making the otherwise difficult and abstract programming concepts more appealing to students, we designed and developed four serious games that target different topics, namely variable declaration; loops; functions; and data structures. In each serious game, the programming knowledge and key concepts are presented in an interactive and concrete way to stimulate students’ engagement and interests in the learning process and improve their learning outcomes. This pilot also employs student-centered pedagogy and blended learning methodology in one of the topics, i.e. the array. Instead of directly attending lecture sessions, students participate in flipped classroom, i.e., watch video lessons prepared by the lecturer through the online NEWTON project platform and prepare their questions which are then discussed in the lecture session. In the lab session afterwards, students further acquire knowledge and practice their problem solving and programming skills through working in group of three on an open-ended problem related to array. During this process, as opposed to traditional education approach where the teacher is the center of the lesson, students are taking initiatives and have more control over their learning progress. Questionnaires covering demographic questions and affective state questions are given to participants prior to the pilot, which help us to learn their background and general attitude and motivation towards the subject. To evaluate the effectiveness of the piloted contents and methodology, pre-tests and posttests that include several single choice questions related to the topics before and after each serious game and video content are conducted. Additionally, a usability questionnaire is employed following each game and video to measure participants’ satisfaction. In this paper, the results of the aforementioned questionnaires are analyzed. The results show that the technology enhanced learning materials help to clarify abstract concepts and therefore enabling students to overcome the difficulties when learning STEM subjects. The results show that 54% of the mature students and 74% of the young students would like to use more technology in the classroom when learning STEM subjects.