Perceived Student Learning, Attitudes And Experiential Learning In Software Engineering Education

Abstract

Experiential learning (EL) pedagogy is transformative, but few EL empirical studies have focused on undergraduate computer science students' experiences. There is a need to explore students' experiences with EL. Primary data were collected to examine the influence of EL on students' involvement, attitudes, and quality of learning. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to verify the theorized latent variable structure and PLS-SEM to test the measurement and structural model fit with the data and the hypotheses. The findings indicated that student involvement was positively correlated with attitude and learning expectancy. Learning expectancy was positively correlated with quality of learning but not attitudes. Instructor impact was positively correlated with student involvement, quality of learning, and attitudes. This rare empirical investigation on the perceptions of undergraduate computer science students using an advanced inferential technique indicated that faculty may apply EL to improve student attitudes and quality of learning.