Work in Progress: Students find active learning beneficial in intro programming course

Abstract

The Introduction to Programming and Computation at Wayne State University (WSU), which is a required foundational course in MATLAB taken by six different engineering majors, was not perceived well by students, which affected engineering retention. At the onset of the course, many students were apprehensive about the material. From discussions with students, we learned that a number of students did not see connections between this course and courses in their major, or the usefulness of the material in their future careers. Beginning in Fall 2016 several pedagogical changes were incorporated into the course. The full study collected student data to see the effects each aspect had on different student groups. This work in progress paper will examine the student's perceptions of course structure and support based on their demographic information. Prior to this study, the course was taught in 70-100 person sections primarily in a lecture style. Topics in the course were only vaguely connected to their chosen disciple and thus students would struggle to find the benefit in the course. Many students had never programmed before and found the thought process completely foreign. As has been seen at other universities, this contributed to students' lack of engagement and dissatisfaction [1]. Females and minorities are chronically underrepresented in engineering [2] and industry is continually calling for additional engineers [3, 4]. Extensive research has been done on ways to increase student engagement and success in STEM fields [5-7]. The 2012 President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report Engage to Excel lists these as strongly supported practices: small group discussion and peer instruction, testing, one-minute papers, clickers, problem-based learning, case studies, analytical challenges before lectures, group tests, problem sets in groups, concept mapping, writing with peer review, computer simulations and games, and combinations of active learning methods [8]. Studies have shown that female engineering students cite the availability of external support and group work as supporting their success [9]. We capitalized on that foundation by incorporating a wide range of active learning strategies into an entry-level class creating a more interactive environment to support all students' success. In addition to the classroom environment, student motivations and perceptions can affect outcomes for programming courses. Previous work has been done on several student factors. Initial motivation, goal orientation, and instrumentality were studied by Shell et al as contributing factors [10]. Bergin and Reilly reported on the role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and self-efficacy in learning programming [11]. Duckworth has reviewed the role of grit and self-control [12]. Data was collected in this study related to these topics, retention, and achievement of learning outcomes and is currently being analyzed for future papers.