TA Role Change towards Guiding Students' Self-directed Learning through Automation of Instruction for Programming Novices

Abstract

Introductory programming courses at university level often face the challenge of having to initiate learning to large student groups with a wide range of prior knowledge. We present a teaching concept that supports individual students' self-learning through online tutorials and programming project work with automated tests on one hand and regular face-to-face project discussion meetings with teaching assistants (TAs) on the other hand. In our teaching approach, TAs take on a new central role with more responsibility by coaching students individually and providing personal feedback. By individualizing and decentralizing the courses with one-to-one tutoring by TAs, they seem to be better adapted to the different needs of individual learners.