Programming for IT Students Quintin Gee [email protected] Learning Technologies Group.
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Transcript of Programming for IT Students Quintin Gee [email protected] Learning Technologies Group.
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IntroductionWhich students are we talking
about?What do they study at the moment?Why teach them programming?What are students fearful of?Can we teach only algorithms?How do we assess these students?How do we handle diversity?Future work
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Direct from school Transfer from Computer Science Mature students (23 and older) Other institutions and Overseas
IT Student recruitment
2004/05: 70% – 3% – 7% – 20%
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IT Graduates IT Management trainees IT Operations/Network/Technical Unemployed, seeking work Further HE Started own business
2004: 35% – 35% – 10% – 10% – 10%
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Syllabus – Level 1Information Systems StrategyComputational Systems & Problem-SolvingContemporary Information HandlingOperating SystemsPersonal DevelopmentUnderstanding Organisations & ManagementAlgorithms & ProgrammingComputer ArchitectureElectronic Communication & The IndividualFirst Integrative Project (both semesters, 30%)
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Reasons for teaching prog.
because they are studying computers “common to all computing programmes
… At its heart is programming” understand the uses and limitations of
computer technology appreciation of the software that drives
the computer, and how it is generated Students want to learn a usable skill
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Reasons against Student apprehension Students have limited time It is wasteful if they are not going to
become professional programmers Can manage with algorithms only
approach [!] “Students need to see from the
beginning how to connect abstractions to actions”
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Student Apprehension
Before After
Nu
mb
er
of
Stu
den
ts
Level of Confidence
01
23
45
67
0 1 2 3 4 5
0
12
3
4
56
7
0 1 2 3 4 5
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Programming vs. Coding
Algorithms only What data
structures? What language? How are they
implemented for testing?
What IDE? What
constructs? What syntax?
Isn’t this just duplication?
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Language Assembler TGF High Level Languages
System language Application language
Prolog/LISP and their derivatives Iconic languages: B# and
RAPTOR Application Generators
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Does it matter? IDE must be simple enough Syntax must be simple enough Data structures
must be complex enough Problems must be varied Process must be exciting/fun/…
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Assessment
Specification 25%
User Guide 20%
Design 20%
Testing 15%
Deliverable 5%
Logbook 15%
mark allocation for programming project
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Diversity Space Cadets
“rocket scientists”, confident with programming in the language
Space Monkeys “strugglers”, apprehensive, little
or no knowledge of language Paired working
Self-chosen, individual assignments
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Future WorkThe work has been taken forward: Java used at the moment with
BlueJ VB .NET was to be re-introduced JavaScript is the likely route
Comparisons of before and after will be undertaken
New group set up to discuss this
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B#
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USAFA Raptor
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