A Holistic Approach to Improve Learning and Motivation in Introductory Programming with Automated Grading, Web-based Team Support, and Game Development

在改善本科STEM教育的支持下：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划），这个轨道1项目旨在提高学生在入门编程课程中的成功，这是所有计算机科学/信息技术课程中的关键课程。提高这门课程的成功率，特别是对于来自STEM历史上代表性不足的群体的学生，将消除在信息技术职业道路上留住学生的障碍。各种以研究为基础的方法，以改善课程往往会遇到当地的挑战，限制其采用或实施。该项目将潜在地证明技术和自动化工具可以有效地管理或缓解这些挑战。在这个项目中试行的方法综合了几个高影响力的做法，为学生提供多种途径和学习机会。这种多方面的方法可能有潜力协同提高学生的整体学习成果。该项目的具体目标是加强学生的学习，技能和培训，这些学生来自历史上在STEM入门编程课程中代表性不足的群体。该项目将通过以下方式实现这一目标：（1）利用多方面的方法，整合几种由自动化工具促进的高影响力研究支持的教学方法，适应不同的学习风格，（2）雇用和指导一组不同的同伴导师，特别关注来自这一干部中代表性不足的群体的学生，以及制作一个小型视频库，以促进在图形编程环境中的学习和练习，这将提供额外的学习途径，并通过视频支持同行建模工作，（3）通过一个长达一学期的游戏开发项目，结合文化上的响应主题，创造一个基于项目的学习体验，（4）制作有形的课程材料，旨在方便其他教师或机构采用或改编。因此，研究成果和开发的工具可能适用于广泛的机构，包括西班牙裔服务机构，少数民族服务机构，以及那些容纳学生平衡教育与工作和家庭承诺。在预期的影响下，项目团队将开发一个面向公众的网站，以托管开发的工件和课程材料，他们将通过举办传播研讨会和通过同行评审的期刊以及在区域和国家会议上的演讲来传播研究结果，从而与CS/IT教育界进行外联。该项目由HSI计划资助，旨在加强本科STEM教育，扩大STEM参与，并建立HSI的能力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1 project aims to improve student success in an introductory programming course which is a pivotal course within all computer science/information technology programs. Increasing the success rates in this course, particularly for students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM, will remove obstacles for retaining students in an information technology career pathway. Various research-based approaches for improving the course often encounter local challenges that limit their adoption or implementation. This project will potentially demonstrate that technology and automated tools can effectively manage or mitigate these challenges. The approach to be piloted in this project integrates several high-impact practices holistically, offering students multiple pathways and opportunities to learn. This multifaceted approach could have the potential to synergically enhance overall student learning outcomes. The specific aim of the project is to enhance the learning, skills, and training of students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM in introductory programming courses. The project will accomplish this aim by (1) utilizing a multifaceted approach that integrates several high-impact research-supported pedagogies facilitated by automated tools, accommodating diverse learning styles, (2) hiring and mentoring a diverse group of peer tutors, with a specific focus on students from groups underrepresented in this cadre, and producing a mini-video library to facilitate learning and practice in a graphical programming environment, which will offer an additional learning pathway and sustain the peer modeling effort through videos, (3) creating a project-based learning experience through a semester-long game development project that incorporate culturally responsive themes, (4) producing tangible curriculum materials designed to be easily adopted or adapted by other faculty or institutions. As a result, the research outcomes and developed tools potentially will be applicable and impactful for a wide range of institutions, including Hispanic serving institutions, minority serving institutions, and those accommodating students balancing education with work and family commitments. With the anticipated impact, the project team will develop a public-facing website to host developed artifacts and curriculum materials, and they will outreach to CS/IT education community by hosting dissemination workshops and disseminating findings through peer-reviewed journals and presentations at regional and national conferences. This project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and build capacity at HSIs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.