Jo Coldwell-Neilson

A model for teaching an introductory programming course using ADRI

High failure and drop-out rates from introductory programming courses continue to be of significant concern to computer science disciplines despite extensive research attempting to address the issue. In this study, we include the three entities of the didactic triangle, instructors, students and curriculum, to explore the learning difficulties that students encounter when studying introductory programming. We first explore students’ perceptions of the barriers and affordances to learning programming. A survey is conducted with introductory programming students to get their feedback on the topics and associated learning resources in the introductory programming course. The instructors’ perceptions are included by analyzing current teaching materials and assessment tools used in the course. As a result, an ADRI based approach is proposed to address the problems identified in the teaching and learning processes of an introductory programming course.

Development of an information management knowledge transfer framework for evidence-based occupational therapy

Purpose – Digital technology has changed how people interact with information and each other. Being able to access and share information ensures healthcare practitioners can keep abreast of new and ever changing information and improve services. The purpose of this paper is to present an information management-knowledge transfer (IM-KT) framework which emerged from a study looking at digital literacy in the occupational therapy profession. Design/methodology/approach – The research was undertaken in three stages. First an in-depth literature review was undertaken, which enabled the creation of an initial conceptual framework which in turn, informed the second stage of the research: the development of a survey about the use of digital technologies. Occupational therapy students, academics and practitioners across five different countries completed the survey, after which refinements to the framework were made. The IM-KT framework presented in this paper emerged as a result of the third stage of the study, which was completed using the Delphi technique where 18 experts were consulted over four rounds of qualitative questionnaires. Findings – The IM-KT framework assists individuals and groups to better understand how information management and knowledge transfer occurs. The framework highlights the central role of information literacy and digital literacy and the influence of context on knowledge transfer activities. Originality/value – The IM-KT framework delineates clearly between information and knowledge and demonstrates the essential role of information literacy and digital literacy in the knowledge era. This framework was developed for the occupational therapy profession and may be applicable to other professions striving to keep up to date with best evidence.

Gender differences in an introductory programming course: New teaching approach, students’ learning outcomes, and perceptions

This study reports on gender differences in an introductory programming (IP) course that uses a new teaching and learning approach based on the ADRI (Approach, Deployment, Result, Improvement) model. The teaching materials of the IP course were redesigned based on the new approach. The grades of the final exam were compared to determine the impact of the new teaching and learning approach on genders. A survey was conducted to collect students’ feedback. The responses of the survey were compared for each question among genders and T-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. The results show that female students performed better in the high achiever category and male students performed better in the medium and low achiever categories in the final exam. The survey responses indicated that male students were more satisfied than female students with the new teaching and learning approach. The four stages of the ADRI approach support students’ cognitive gains and engagement. The students’ retention was higher which supports students’ affective engagement in the IP course. Overall, both the female and male students appreciate the ADRI approach in the IP course.

Are IT interventions for girls a special case

Over the past two decades, numerous interventions have been conducted to inform and inspire schoolgirls into studies and a career in computing and technology. Two successful intervention of this kind have been held over a number of years, and this paper presents the initial stages of a longitudinal study which evaluates the qualitative data from the survey from six Australian events in total. The paper explores the motivational aspects of the presentations in the context of the responses from students and teachers, and it highlights the importance of ensuring that presentation sessions at these events are fun, funny and interesting, and the importance of considering the age of the target audience. It concludes by raising a concern.

Comparison of Traditional and ADRI Based Teaching Approaches in an Introductory Programming Course.

Aim/Purpose: This study introduced a new teaching and learning approach based on an ADRI (Approach, Deployment, Result, Improvement) model in an introductory pro-gramming (IP) course. The effectiveness of the new teaching and learning pro-cess was determined by collecting feedback from the IP instructors and by analyzing the final exam grades of the course. Background: Learning to program is considered a difficult and challenging task for a consid-erable number of novice programmers. As a result, high failure and dropout rates are often reported in IP courses. Different studies have been conducted to investigate the issue. One of the reasons for this challenge is the multiple skills that students have to master in order to be able to build programs. These skills include programming knowledge and problem-solving strategies and being able to pay equal attention to these required skills in the IP course. Methodology: A focus group was conducted to obtain feedback from the IP instructors about the ADRI approach. The performance of the students who had completed the IP course before ADRI was compared with those who used the ADRI ap-proach by undertaking a comparative analysis of their final exam grades. Contribution: The study demonstrates that the new teaching and learning approach based on the ADRI model encourages students to pay equal attention to programming knowledge and problem-solving strategies, discouraging programming shortcuts and reducing high attrition rates (failure and dropout) in the IP course.Findings: The results of the focus group show that the instructors preferred the ADRI approach compared to the traditional approach. The final exam grades show that the students performed better in semesters which offered the ADRI ap-proach as compared to those semesters without this approach. Future Research: Future research will explore the ADRI approach in other fields of computer science studies, such as database and data structure, to determine if its impact has a wider application than just teaching introductory programming.

Impact of a New Teaching and Learning Approach in an Introductory Programming Course.

High failure and dropout rates are reported in introductory programming (IP) courses in different studies despite extensive research attempting to address the issue. In this study, we introduced an ADRI (Approach, Deployment, Result, Improvement) approach in the teaching and learning process of an IP course to improve learning and success rates. All three entities of the didactic triangle (student, instructor, and content) were involved in the research to better understand and execute the proposed approach. The IP course materials were redesigned based on the ADRI approach, and an editor was developed to promote the new approach and encourage students to complete the various stages required in the approach. Two surveys were conducted, and final exam grades over four semesters were compared with determine the impact of including the ADRI approach in the course. We concluded that the ADRI approach provides a positive impact on outcomes that the students achieved during the course. It engages students in practicing their programming skills and provides a new presentation style for examples and exercises which discourages students from taking programming shortcuts. It not only helps to reduce the failure and, significantly, the dropout rates from the IP course but also impacts positively on all students who passed the IP course.

Informing the career development of IT students by understanding their career aspirations and skill development action plans

Attending university can assist students to make informed and realistic choices regarding their career. However, career development is a complex process and there are discipline-specific aspects to consider. In Information Technology, no clear career developmental pathway is evident in the literature despite recent efforts by employers, educators, and professional societies to help students improve their career expectations and employability upon graduation. This study aims to understand better the career aspirations and expectations of tertiary Information Technology students, so that their beliefs and needs can be taken into consideration when supporting them in career development. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative analyses to explore the career aspirations of 306 students. The results demonstrated variability in students’ short-term aspirations and a lack of understanding regarding effective actions to achieve their career goals, highlighting issues with setting realistic expectations. Outcomes show that undergraduate Information Technology students may require assistance with negotiating career choice.

The book: production and participation

Purpose – The focus of this paper is on the benefits that may eventuate through new mechanisms of production and distribution. As we enter the twenty-first century, the nature of the book and the structure of the industry which produces it are undergoing radical transformation, as developments in information technology offer new mechanisms for production and distribution. Most of the discussion of these changes is conducted from the perspective of what has been lost through these changes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the history of the book from the perspective of the disruptive effects of the changes in production technology and impact on the roles involved in production, distribution and reading of books. Darnton’s Communication Circuit is updated to predict future limiting factors and opportunities for participation. Findings – The evolution of the book has seen successive categories of workers involved in book production supplanted by the adoption of new technology. The updated Darnton’s model suggests that the roles involved in the production and distribution of the book will, however, be supplanted in favour of authors and readers of the book in the future. Social implications – The predicted changes will alter the roles of authors and book users. Originality/value – This paper suggests a novel approach to the discussion of the future of book publication and suggests future developments.

Towards a framework for aligning learning outcomes, academic literacies and assessment criteria

Although Australian students spend three or more years studying they can seem quite unaware of any of the expected learning outcomes of their course. They are often single unit focused, paying most attention to individual assessment items thus not developing a holistic view of their course. This paper presents a theoretical framework to support staff and students to recognise, scaffold and achieve learning outcomes and academic skills at unit level and to recognise how these contribute to course and graduate learning outcomes, within the boundaries of Australian university and professional accreditation requirements. A case study is described that demonstrates the manual implementation of the framework. The complex nature of the implementation suggests that a software solution is required to ease the process and ensure the resulting mapping will have some longevity by being maintainable.

Improving Assessment Management Using Tools

This paper firstly explains the importance of assessment management, then introduces two assessment tools currently used in the School of Information Technology at Deakin University. A comparison of assignment marking was conducted after collecting test data from three sets of assignments. The importance of providing detailed marking guides and personalized comments is emphasized and future possible extension to the tools is also discussed at the end of this paper.