Enhancing the teaching of CS 1 by programming mobile apps in MIT app inventor

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a curriculum of CS 1 course, which conveys the basics of programming techniques and concepts of Computer Science (CS). To build a solid foundation for prospective CS majors, while also attract students from other subject areas, a new pedagogy of programming was adopted by using MIT App Inventor. It is a blocks-based programming environment that enables students to create apps for Android devices without worrying about syntax. We developed a series of hand-on modules into the course work. Thus, students were motivated to make a grater effort to learn the concepts embodied in the modules. Through this engaging and intriguing method, the freshly designed curriculum helped students master a number of vital skills in problem solving, computational thinking, design, and teamwork. Pre-survey and post-survey were conducted to study the acceptance of the new teaching method. The study indicated the curriculum not only helped motivate students from all majors, but also improved their performance.