{"title":"SPOC-supported introduction to programming","authors":"M. Piccioni, H.-Christian Estler, B. Meyer","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591759","url":null,"abstract":"MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which have taken higher education by storm, are an opportunity to elevate the quality of existing residential courses. We report about an experimental attempt during the Autumn 2013 semester at ETH Zurich, involving our \"Introduction to Programming\" course. We designed and implemented a MOOC infrastructure and used it as a SPOC (Small Private Online Course) to support and complement the existing course. The results reported in this article are encouraging for two reasons: first, the participation level was good, in spite of the fact that the online course was an optional addition to the residential course; second, students really liked the assessments (quizzes and programming exercises), in spite of the fact that assessments did not count towards the course final grade. The data we collected suggest that this may, at least in part, be due to a gamification aspect we introduced in the course: awarding virtual badges for obtaining full points in the quizzes.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126412243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Dagienė, Linda Mannila, T. Poranen, Lennart Rolandsson, Pär Söderhjelm
{"title":"Students' performance on programming-related tasks in an informatics contest in Finland, Sweden and Lithuania","authors":"V. Dagienė, Linda Mannila, T. Poranen, Lennart Rolandsson, Pär Söderhjelm","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591760","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591760","url":null,"abstract":"The ways in which informatics is covered in K-12 education vary among European countries. In Finland and Sweden, informatics is not included in the core curriculum, whereas, for example, in Lithuania, all students are exposed to some informatics concepts starting in the fifth grade. Bebras is an annually arranged international informatics contest for K-12 level, resulting in a large collection of data about contestants and their results. In this paper, we analyse contest data from the Finnish, Swedish and Lithuanian 2013 con- tests, focusing on students' performance on tasks related to algorithmic thinking. Our findings suggest that despite coming from different educational systems, students perform rather similarly on the tasks. The same tasks are difficult and the thinking behind picking an incorrect answer seems rather similar throughout the countries. The analysis also points out that there is a lack of easy questions -- this needs to be fixed in order to not risk scaring students away.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126812311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Man Wang, S. Carr, Jean Mayo, Ching-Kuang Shene, Chaoli Wang
{"title":"MLSvisual: a visualization tool for teaching access control using multi-level security","authors":"Man Wang, S. Carr, Jean Mayo, Ching-Kuang Shene, Chaoli Wang","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591730","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591730","url":null,"abstract":"Information security continues to be a pressing issue for industry and government. Perhaps the two most fundamental mechanisms for controlling access to information are cryptography and access control systems. This paper presents MLSvisual, a tool that helps students learn the multi-level(Bell-LaPadula) access control model. MLSvisual allows students to create, explore, and modify an MLS policy through a graphical visualization system. A query system can be used by students to test their understanding of a given policy. Instructors can utilize a test function in the tool to assign an exercise or quiz, with answers sent to them via email. We also present the results of an evaluation of MLSvisual within a senior-level course on information security. This evaluation received positive feedback and showed that MLSviusal helped the understanding of the Bell-LaPadula model and enhanced the course. We believe that this user-level tool will help instructors to teach this material more effectively, and make teaching this material more practical in resource-constrained environments.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"75 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126184491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Guess my object: an 'objects first' game on objects' behavior and implementation with bluej","authors":"Axel Schmolitzky, Timo Göttel","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591725","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591725","url":null,"abstract":"Introductory programming education following the Objects First approach introduces the concepts of object-oriented programming early on. Objects with state (fields) and behavior (methods) that offer services to their clients (via their public interface) and hide the way these services are implemented (in their implementation) are the building blocks of any larger object system. These basic properties of objects are so crucial for understanding object-oriented programming (and later on object-oriented design) that diverse approaches to teaching them should be offered. In this paper we introduce Guess My Object (GMO) as a new approach to getting in contact with objects early that can complement existing teaching approaches. In essence, GMO is a way of using BlueJ for an interactive round-based game, each consisting of two stages, behavior exploration and behavior implementation.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125778713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Politz, Daniel Patterson, S. Krishnamurthi, Kathi Fisler
{"title":"CaptainTeach: multi-stage, in-flow peer review for programming assignments","authors":"J. Politz, Daniel Patterson, S. Krishnamurthi, Kathi Fisler","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591738","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591738","url":null,"abstract":"Computing educators have used peer review in various ways in courses at many levels. Few of these efforts have applied peer review to multiple deliverables (such as specifications, tests, and code) within the same programming problem, or to assignments that are still in progress (as opposed to completed). This paper describes CaptainTeach, a programming environment enhanced with peer-review capabilities at multiple stages within assignments in progress. Multi-stage, in-flow peer review raises many logistical and pedagogical issues. This paper describes CaptainTeach and our experience using it in two undergraduate courses (one first-year and one upper-level); our analysis emphasizes issues that arise from the conjunction of multiple stages and in-flow reviewing, rather than peer review in general.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132873006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Apps for social justice: motivating computer science learning with design and real-world problem solving","authors":"Sarah Van Wart, Sepehr Vakil, Tapan S. Parikh","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591751","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we describe a twelve-week Apps for Social Justice course that we taught at an after-school program. Students read social justice literature, identified local community needs, and went through a design process to create fully functional mobile applications to address these needs. Using Nasir and Hand's concept of practice-linked identities, we argue that an integrative approach to introducing computer science -- where CS principles are used in pursuit of meaningful community goals -- provides multiple opportunities for students to participate in software development while connecting these skills and dispositions to their own experiences and to larger social issues. Unlike a concepts-first approach, which introduces computer science ideas using small, often decontextualized examples, a practiced-based approach that builds on student experiences may foster a more motivating and meaningful learning environment.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"67 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131051165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Learning computer programming: a study of the effectiveness of a COAC#","authors":"Jakeline Marcos-Abed","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2602652","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2602652","url":null,"abstract":"The learning of computer programming is difficult for many students, particularly to learn Iterative Control Structures and Data Structures. In order to improve the understanding of Loops, Strings and Arrays, a tool called COAC# was developed, to show in a graphic and animated form the loop functionality. Together with a practice, COAC# was used with a set of test cases so that the student can understand the result associated with each test case. This work in progress measures the effectiveness of COAC# tool, comparing the student's answers in a practice versus their performance in exams.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"140 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"113972776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jun Ma, Jun Tao, Melissa S. Keranen, Jean Mayo, Ching-Kuang Shene, Chaoli Wang
{"title":"SHAvisual: a secure hash algorithm visualization tool","authors":"Jun Ma, Jun Tao, Melissa S. Keranen, Jean Mayo, Ching-Kuang Shene, Chaoli Wang","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2602663","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2602663","url":null,"abstract":"This poster presents a visualization tool SHAvisual for instructors to teach and students to learn the SHA-512 algorithm visually with demo and practice modes. This poster will also discuss some findings of classroom use and student reactions, which are very positive and encouraging.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"44 10","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114007332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An interactive visualization method of constructionist teaching and learning of geometry","authors":"Egle Jasute","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2602662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2602662","url":null,"abstract":"Today's youth has grew up with digital technology and has lived immersed in environments populated by computers, videogames, digital music players, video cameras, cell phones, and thousands of other toys and tools of the digital age. It is probably for this reason that the authors are persuaded that education in XXI century should be directed to use digital resources as well as digital ways of teaching in all subjects. Mathematics among the other disciplines needs digitization and the paper deals with the development of dynamic sketches for geometry teaching and learning. Dynamic geometry education is important for pupils to develop visualization and spatial thinking. The attention is paid to the constructionist learning model for learning geometry developed by Baytak (2011) [1]. The model is extended and adapted for teaching geometry with dynamic geometry software at a lower and upper secondary school level. In order to help the teachers to use the dynamic geometry and other information technologies is developed an interactive geometry visualization method. The method is based on abstract data type theory. Four abstract data types have been developed and defined using algebraic specifications. The development of a dynamic sketch's scenario with the implementation of these abstract data types is presented in details. An example of creating an interactive microworld, using the abstract data types, is presented and discussed as well.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124757847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The state of play: a notional machine for learning programming","authors":"Michael Berry, Michael Kölling","doi":"10.1145/2591708.2591721","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591721","url":null,"abstract":"Comprehension of programming and programs is known to be a difficult task for many beginning students, with many computing courses showing significant drop out and failure rates. In this paper, we present a new notional machine design and implementation to help with understanding of programming and its dynamics for beginning learners. The notional machine offers an abstraction of the physical machine designed for comprehension and learning purposes. We introduce the notional machine and a graphical notation for its representation. We also present Novis, an implementation of a dynamic real-time visualiser of this notional machine, integrated into BlueJ.","PeriodicalId":334476,"journal":{"name":"Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education","volume":"42 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114865268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}