Visual Programming and Interactive Learning Based Dynamic Instructional Approaches to Teach an Introductory Programming Course

Abstract

This Research to Practice Full Paper presents our experience in teaching an introductory programming course in Python by using a visual programming development environment based on flow-charts and active learning with an interactive eBook. The field of computer science education is always being challenged with the high attrition rates despite the ever growing industry demand for computing expertise. The lower rate of student retention is often associated with considerable dropout and failure rates in introductory programming courses during the freshmen year. The main challenge is getting students to write meaningful programs in a short time by focusing more on computational thinking principles and less on language details at that point in time. Nowadays, most students prefer to be engaged and discover course content through exploration, interaction, and collaboration that is relevant, useful, and fun compared to traditional blackboard-based lecturing styles. For evaluation of learning outcomes based on the quantifiable criteria with robust statistical analysis, eleven sections of the course over three semesters were considered. The initial evaluation of summative assessment and analysis of a survey result enable us to conclude that the proposed instructional approach increases student engagement, facilitate learning and contribute to the progress of students in this course.