ITEXTBOOK PYTHON

Interactive Textbook Authoring and Learning Tool for Python

by Riyaadh Kajee & Julian Kanjere

WHY ITEXTBOOK PYTHON? Students with no prior programming

experience struggle with introductory programming courses

Hands on approach to learning programming – interactive assessments

LMS has limited collaboration, is not always specific to programming and complex

Online Compilers and Code Markers have limited collaboration, and sometimes poor feedback

EXAMPLE - ONLINE COMPILER

Image source: codepad.org

iTextBook Python will allow for context specific collaboration and feedback from automatic marker

Limited collaboration

Poor Feedback

USERS

Instructors – Authoring Interactive Programming Textbooks

Students – Learning Programming for students from all backgrounds (with / without prior programming experience)

FEATURES - INSTRUCTOR

CRUD of textbooks with embedded text, audio and video if available

Set different types of Assessments Binary Questions (i.e. True/False) MCQ Coding (online compiler, code comparison

with no need for compiling) Collaboration with students Site Statistics

EXAMPLE – SAKAI SITE STATS

Image Source: http://codingwithcoffee.com/?p=169

FEATURES - STUDENT

Support for reading, highlighting, notepad

Automatic Marking of Programming (Coding) Assessments

Collaboration amongst students and instructors

Hints when completing assessments Recommendations for topics to review

IMPACT

Less steep learning curve for introductory programming

Context Specific Collaboration amongst students and instructors

Personalized feedback to the learner Visual and Verbal stimulation for the students More platforms (Web & Android) = greater

accessibility Contribution to Open Educational Resources

DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT

Web Based (Julian Kanjere) HTML, CSS Server Side Processing (PHP) HCI

Tablet Based (Riyaadh Kajee) Android Java HCI

Database (Combined Effort) SQLite / MySQL

METHODOLOGY – EXTREMME PROGRAMMING (XP)

Ideal for small teams Emphasizes paired programming . Allows the client to be actively involved

in the project. Iterative Development

EVALUATIONUser Evaluation PurposeStudent Questionnaire with closed questions as

well as open ended to cater for student description (Marsden and Jones 2006)

To solicit requirements for interactive learning tool (before/during development of iTextBook Python)

To receive feedback after use of iTextBook Python for learning

Instructor Questionnaire with closed questions as well as open ended to cater for description in own words

To solicit requirements for interactive learning tool (before/during development of iTextBook Python)

To receive feedback after use of iTextBook Python Authoring tool

Instructor Face to Face Interviews To solicit requirements for iTextBook Python Authoring

User Evaluation Purpose

Student Duration of usage To establish access patterns of iTextbook Python as this gives insight into extent of use

Student Average scores from topic evaluations

To have a general idea of whether students are passing the assessments, the assumption being that if they are passing this can be attributed to iTextBook Python

Student Number of unique visits to a topic To establish number of students actively using the tool out of the total number of students that will be registered as users

Student Number and Type of features used per topic and overally (Lecture Notes, Video, Audio, Assessments, Notepad, Collaboration)

To establish most useful features

Instructor Number and Type of Features used when authoring a topic (Lecture Notes, Video, Audio, Assessments, Notepad, Collaboration)

To establish most useful features

RISKSRisk Risk Type Details Likelihood Mitigation Strategy

Adoption Failure Market and People

There may be problems with fulfilling user needs

Medium Roll out prototype Constructive feedback from user

surveys Incentives for Instructors

System Failure Operational Storage of user details for the web-based service may be lost

Medium Testing during prototype phase Backup servers (optional)

Loss of data (source code)

Operational Loss of source code on disk/pc

Medium Regular backups of system Version control

Security Legal and Regulatory

Compromise of user credentials

Low Encryption of User Details in database

Infringement of User Privacy (Legal)

Legal and Regulatory

Use of data obtained from student profiling may be used in unethical manner

Low Privacy Policy Obtain ethical clearance Issue consent forms before

students use the iTextBook or participate in surveys

Delay in obtaining Ethical Clearance

Legal and Regulatory

Receiving ethical clearance to interview people might take some time

Medium We should apply as early as possible for ethical clearance in order to avoid any obstructions ahead

Unable to reach milestones

Operational Due to unforeseen circumstances, might cause a delay in the milestone process

Medium Have meetings on a regular basis to make sure we are on track

Unfamiliarity with devices

Operational Using new technologies which may be unfamiliar

Medium Get acquainted with technologies as early as possible (Android Tablet PC)

TIMELINE

TIMELINE – DATABASE DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION

TIMELINE – WEB BASED TOOL

TIMELINE – TABLET BASED TOOL

QUESTIONS?