Anabela Gomes

Integrating New Technologies and Existing Tools to Promote Programming Learning

In recent years, many tools have been proposed to reduce programming learning difficulties felt by many students. Our group has contributed to this effort through the development of several tools, such as VIP, SICAS, OOP-Anim, SICAS-COL and H-SICAS. Even though we had some positive results, the utilization of these tools doesn’t seem to significantly reduce weaker student’s difficulties. These students need stronger support to motivate them to get engaged in learning activities, inside and outside classroom. Nowadays, many technologies are available to create contexts that may help to accomplish this goal. We consider that a promising path goes through the integration of solutions. In this paper we analyze the features, strengths and weaknesses of the tools developed by our group. Based on these considerations we present a new environment, integrating different types of pedagogical approaches, resources, tools and technologies for programming learning support. With this environment, currently under development, it will be possible to review contents and lessons, based on video and screen captures. The support for collaborative tasks is another key point to improve and stimulate different models of teamwork. The platform will also allow the creation of various alternative models (learning objects) for the same subject, enabling personalized learning paths adapted to each student knowledge level, needs and preferential learning styles. The learning sequences will work as a study organizer, following a suitable taxonomy, according to student’s cognitive skills. Although the main goal of this environment is to support students with more difficulties, it will provide a set of resources supporting the learning of more advanced topics. Software engineering techniques and representations, object orientation and event programming are features that will be available in order to promote the learning progress of students.

Using a computer-based interactive system for the development of basic algorithmic and programming skills

Student failure and commonly expressed difficulties in programming disciplines suggest that traditional approaches are not the most appropriate for many students. In this paper we present SICAS, a learning tool designed to help students in the development of basic algorithmic and programming skills. With SICAS students can design, simulate, test and compare algorithms for proposed problems. We also report some evaluation findings, current changes and future extensions of the tool.

Mathematics and programming: some studies

Learning how to develop a program is known to be a difficult task to many novice students. This is a problem to which, neither the traditional teaching methods nor the more sophisticated methods based on computational tools already proposed have been able to meet. According to the related literature and our own experience as teachers, there seems to be a set of causes responsible for this problem. It is our opinion the most important cause is the lack of good generic problem solving skills, especially those related to mathematical methods and models for solving problems. The current undergoing work focuses on this assumption and this paper reports specific experiences carried out during the years of 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, directed to explore possible relations between deficient mathematical problem solving competences and the lack of programming abilities shown by a group of students who failed their initial programming course.

Aprendizagem de programação de computadores: dificuldades e ferramentas de suporte

Sao varias as razoes que tornam a aprendizagem de programacao um processo dificil, ao qual as abordagens de ensino tradicionais nao tem conseguido responder eficazmente. Muitas solucoes tecnologicas tem sido desenvolvidas, porem o problema subsiste. Para alem de diversas razoes apontadas por muitos autores como estando na origem deste problema, destacamos a elevada dificuldade apresentada pelos alunos para resolver problemas genericos. Esta dificuldade e acentuada quando os problemas sao mais orientados a programacao, traduzindo-se na incapacidade de concepcao de algoritmos. Encontra-se em desenvolvimento uma nova proposta que se centra essencialmente no desenvolvimento de competencias de resolucao de problemas, genericos numa fase de conhecimento inicial e orientados a programacao em fases cognitivas mais avancadas. Este novo ambiente assenta em duas estruturas basilares, os estilos de aprendizagem preferenciais de cada aluno e o seu nivel cognitivo. Relativamente a este ultimo aspecto incorpora tambem mecanismos para treinar as funcoes cognitivas em defice.

A taxonomy of exercises to support individual learning paths in initial programming learning

Initial programming learning is known to be difficult to many students. To improve this situation it is necessary to support students learning effectively. This means that learning activities should be adapted to each student learning pace and specific needs. This is difficult considering that classes often have a large number of students. The definition of individual learning paths adaptable according to the student performance might help to improve the situation. To support the definition of learning paths it is useful to have a large set of exercises, organized according to a taxonomy that includes different dimensions and parameters relevant to the choice of appropriate exercises at any moment. To present this taxonomy is the main objective of this paper.

A teacher's view about introductory programming teaching and learning: Difficulties, strategies and motivations

The difficulties faced by students and teachers in learning and teaching introductory programming has been a research issue over the years. Programming learning demands effort and motivation. However, demotivation is common in many novice-programming students, who are not able to cope with the natural difficulties associated to programming learning. Since many students lack intrinsic motivation it is up to the teacher to find strategies to help students and keep them motivated during the course. The objective of our research was to know more about the pedagogical and motivational strategies used by teachers in the authors institutions to promote programming students motivation. So we interviewed teachers with diversified experiences in teaching the first programming course.

A class record and reviewing system designed to promote programming learning

Many students feel difficulties in programming learning and, consequently, the failure rates in introductory programming courses are frequently high. Some students do not have the necessary commitment, while others do not show a natural ability for programming, which means they need more time to master the necessary knowledge and develop appropriate problem solving skills. Often, class pace is very intensive and many students are simply not able to follow all contents and activities. In order to help students with their studies it would be helpful if they could review classes so that they could clear doubts or take additional notes. Students that miss class for some reason could also take advantage of such possibility. In this paper we present a new system that we developed to record and replay lessons. The system is able to record the voice of the teacher, but also the main visual points of a class: the computer in focus in the class, the blackboard and the classroom environment. This system gives students the opportunity to review any part of a particular class, clear doubts that may have remained, review examples or exercises that may contribute to their programming learning.

Development of a Biomechanical Bike with Assistive Technologies to Be Used for Rehabilitation

This paper presents a system named ExoBike, a structure similar to a bicycle, that takes over the function of an exoskeleton with rehabilitation purposes. The proposed system enables the control of limb movements based on the sensor data and the patient intentions. For that it has an adapted seat and several mechanical interface zones that have a set of sensors and actuators that enable therapeutics to implement an active/passive system that reacts dynamically to the needs of the disease under evaluation. The type and intensity of the training may be programmed by the medical staff that receives feedback in the software from the wireless sensors. The ExoBike allows the therapeutic professionals to put into practice adapted therapies with adjusted efforts for different patients. The patients’ movements are monitored using a set of wireless sensors network, implementing a personal virtual reality solution where the patient “play” in an environment strongly connected with reality.

The CeAMatE-on project: An online mathematical Support Centre in engineering

In this paper the CeAMatE project is presented. Its main objective is to address the lack of basic and complementary knowledge in mathematics. This is considered essential to the integration of students that access higher education to attend undergraduate Engineering degrees. For such, a bi-dimensional structure was implemented, where students can work in person or at a distance, defining educational paths according to the learning outcomes profile of each student. The personalized and responsible support offered in CeAMatE induces self-efficacy behavior, thereby preventing the demotivation of self-study, which usually leads to the abandonment of classes, and consequently causing failure. To this end, the learning objects are organized according to the framework “Mathematics for the European Engineer - A Curriculum for the Twenty-First Century”, adapted to the Portuguese education. Although the guiding principles that apply to face-to-face program are in general the same as those applicable to the online version, we consider that online systems require special care. The majority of the existing online systems lack interactivity and pedagogy, leading to learning models that depend largely on student motivation. This project has a set of pedagogical concerns that develop around an axis: all the proposed activities adapt to the students cognitive level and their preferred learning profiles. Therefore, the mathematical activities are adapted to the cognitive development of students applying the Bloom Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Each lesson will also have different versions depending on the specific learning profiles. The principles underlying the construction of CeAMatE can be replicated to other Curricular Units contributing to a change in teaching practices, which are still very based on expositive techniques. This environment will enhance a relevant research work for the redesign and improvement of educational and training projects of higher education institutions providing degree courses in engineering, teaching practices and educational staff training policies.