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Creating and Evaluating a Visual Programming Course Based on Student Experience

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Emerging Research, Practice, and Policy on Computational Thinking

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to deduct guidelines from an introductory programming course to understand the critical points based on the opinions of the students. These critical points could be a guide for future course designs. An introductory visual programming course was designed for novice learners during 2014, fall term at Middle East Technical University, Turkey. Qualitative data were collected with interviews and observations. From the interviews, five themes emerged: communication, computational thinking, environment, motivation, and course recommendations. Results of the study revealed what motivates students, what parts of the course students found useful, and what parts should be replaced. An environment which is easy, visual, and communicative through an informal interface could be useful, especially in terms of motivation. Additionally, examples with useful products rather than meaningless algorithm examples could motivate students better. Interviews also revealed topics students found to be difficult. Results of this study could be a guide for future visual programming course designs.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank TUBITAK, the scientific and technological research council of turkey, for their financial support including this research study and visiting scholarship grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Middle East Technical University, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey

    Kadir Yucel Kaya & Kursat Cagiltay

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  1. Kadir Yucel Kaya
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  2. Kursat Cagiltay
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Correspondence to Kadir Yucel Kaya .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. 150K MCKB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA

    Peter J. Rich

  2. Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA

    Charles B. Hodges

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Kaya, K.Y., Cagiltay, K. (2017). Creating and Evaluating a Visual Programming Course Based on Student Experience. In: Rich, P., Hodges, C. (eds) Emerging Research, Practice, and Policy on Computational Thinking. Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52691-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52691-1_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52690-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52691-1

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