Abstract
People often learn programming in face-to-face courses or online tutorials. Interactive computer tutors---systems that provide learning content interactively---are becoming more common in online tools such as those teaching computer programming. Studies have shown that teachers, interactive computer tutors, and the combination of both are efficient and effective in teaching programming. However, there is limited understanding of the comparative perspectives of learners learning from these two different sources. We conducted an exploratory study using semi-structured interviews and recruited 20 participants with programming experience from both teachers and interactive computer tutors. Speaking with our participants, we surfaced factors that learners like and dislike from the two learning resources and discussed the strengths and weaknesses between the two. Based on our findings, we discuss implications for designs that programming educators and interactive computer tutor developers can use to improve their teaching effectiveness.
Highlights
Learning to program is considered a difficult process and requires continuous practice much like learning natural languages
For the purposes of this paper, we only focus on massive open online courses (MOOC) that offer instructions through virtual agents or interactive computer tutors
Provides a code editor: A code editor that is embedded with the interactive computer tutor (ICT), which allows learners to write and run their code directly within the system
Summary
Learning to program is considered a difficult process and requires continuous practice much like learning natural languages. The difficult nature of programming may increase the dropout rate in both classrooms [2], [3] and massive open online courses (MOOC) [4]. Individual tutoring is an ideal strategy for teaching and learning programming—human tutoring is one of the most effective ways to overcome programming obstacles [6], but the lack of computer teachers continues to be a concern of researchers and educators [7]. Many learners have limited access to in-person and personalized programming courses. Even for those who have access to courses, a large lecture-based format is not an ideal setting for teachers to pay attention to the iJET ‒ Vol 15, No 9, 2020
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