To Do or not to Do Previous Homework in Computer Education

Abstract

The first contact of freshmen students with computer thinking and programming languages is not an easy task. There are several strategies that can be used before, during and after face-to-face classes. Flipped classes are a way to save time in activities that can be better done in the form of previous work - guided by the teacher. And the time gained in person can be used in tasks that are much more productive than traditional lectures. This study is based on an introductory programming semester of post lockdown COVID-19, initially with 101 students, with the strategy of providing study materials for students to work on before class (as in flipped classes). We use attendance in classes, access-work MOODLE, the two grades obtained during the semester, as well as some information about the student (age, course, gender, previous knowledge of programming languages), and the level that the students think it was their presence in classes and on MOODLE in the middle and at the end of the semester to measure the success of the experiment. It seems that this type of strategy can be excellent for students who attend classes weekly and do their homework, but it can be a cause of dropout if taken to the extreme.