Abstract
Introductory programming course traditionally have higher rates of failures and dropouts. Teachers and researchers have to develop strategies to combat this problem. This article reports an experience on the first semester of a degree in computer science and the use of Project Based Learning for two projects with groups of three students. With this methodology, independence and self-study are created in the students, accompanying the subjects taught in classes with works related to real life. Since peer assessment is used in part of the classification of each project, the distribution of students by the groups was made by the teacher, who used as criteria for ordering said groups attendance in class for the first project and grade in the first test for the second project. The first project was submitted and presented by 95% of the students and the second project was only completed by 44% of the students who mostly correspond to the best grades on the first test. 93% of the students who passed the course presented both projects. Most of the students who submitted the papers found this to be an excellent strategy. It is concluded that the project is a way to improve and develop the skills of motivated students but that others have a lot of difficulty or even reluctance to follow.
Highlights
Teaching programming to students who do it for the first time is a task that is both complicated and challenging
Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory [9] differentiates motivator factors from hygiene factors: the first are intrinsic to the job and hygiene factors are extrinsic to the job and include company policy and administration, supervision, interpersonal relationships, salary, status, and security
There are several studies that prove the advantages and motivation created in students with the use of active methodologies as opposed to with passive learning in large classes, such as Technology-Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) [11]
Summary
Teaching programming to students who do it for the first time is a task that is both complicated and challenging. SCI is an instructional approach in which students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. This learning model places the student (learner) in the center of the learning process. Students are responsible for both the questions and the answers to such problems [15] This form of learning allows students to experiment and improve their skills by developing medium sized projects in contrast to small programs as is usual in courses of this type. The constitution of the groups was not maintained from the first to the second project With this methodology, independence and self-study are created in the students, accompanying the subjects taught in classes with works related to real life. This article is divided into four parts: the course characterization: program, schedule, evaluation and demographics of participants; characterization of the two projects: aims, rules and surveys; the results and the discussion as well as final conclusions
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