Paula Figas

Towards a Competency-based Education with Gamification Design Elements

In this contribution we describe a theoretical way of linking dynamics as gamification design elements with competency-based education. Furthermore the value of the adoption of dynamics is addressed in order to support the design of gamified and competency-based learning on an abstract level of goal definition.

Task-based programming learning in higher education

The task-based language learning (TBLL) approach is used in the context of foreign language pedagogy. Since a programming language is also a language by definition, this emerges the question whether the approach can also be used for learning programming. The paper presents fundamentals of the TBLL approach and illustrates how it can be adopted for learning an object-oriented programming language. It gives suggestions for concrete specifications of a task-based programming learning (TBPL) and shows their effects on an exemplary programming task.

Learning Tasks for Software Engineering Education: An exemplary development of learning tasks for software engineering based on didactic function and knowledge type

Learning tasks play an important role in education and especially in higher education. However, there is a significant lack in research regarding these in higher education. A learning task shows several characteristics, whereas the didactic function of a task is mostly considered. Two characteristics of learning tasks are focused in this paper: The didactic function and the type knowledge. Existing types of learning tasks are presented as well as a proposal for learning tasks in software engineering education that considers didactic functions, like elaboration, training or application and types of knowledge, i.e. factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive knowledge. This paper aims to serve as a guidance for lecturers who have the purpose to create learning tasks that address both characteristics -- the didactic function and the type of knowledge.

Feedback-based Learning Through Online Feedback Systems in Higher Education

This work is part of the EVELIN project which is supported by the Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung with the project number 01PL12022C.

Learning programming languages through input-providing tasks

Task-based Programming Learning (TBPL) is an approach which is based on ideas of Task-based Language Learning in second language acquisition. It can use output-prompting and input-providing tasks. This paper describes the theoretical background and methodical aspects of the input-providing TBPL variant and its implementation in higher education courses. The approach was implemented and evaluated in five different programming courses from both students (N=165) and lecturers (N=4). It became clear that the TBPL-approach has several positive aspects and that it can serve as a valuable instrument for learning and teaching programming in higher education.