The Lab Tutor System of a Large Undergraduate Class: The Lab

Tutors Perspective

Charlie Daly, Dave Donnellan, Monica Ward and Ray Walshe

Introduction

• Computer Applications degree at DCU

• First Year Students

• Computer Programming

• Large class (300-400)

• Lab component

Forces

• Non-completion rates– Computing courses have high attrition rates

• Computer Programming– Studies show that many Introductory

Programming Courses do not work

HEA report

• A Study of Non-Completion in Undergraduate University Courses– Average Non-Completion rate is 16.8%– Highest in Computing (33%)

• Reasons– Students choose wrong subjects– Financial pressures– Low points (measure of school leaving results)

non completion

Computing

• Not taught at second level– Students don't know what it involves– Worse: they think they know

• Programming is difficult– Problem solving– Abstract reasoning

• Leaving cert does not prepare students– Tends to encourage rote learning

non completion

Computing at DCU

• 1999: Doubled intake from 150 to 300– Points dropped from 420 to 360– all the extra students from the lower point range

• Large class size can increase sense of isolation among students.

non completion

Force 1 Non-Completion rates

• Students don't know what computing involves.

• Increasing class size reduces points.• Large class size can increase feelings of

isolation.

• All factors in increasing non-completion rates.

non completion

Force 2

“Do students in introductory computing courses know how to program at the

expected skill level?”

An international multi-institutional study of introductory programming courses

ITiCSE 2001

No.

Assessment

"The spirit and style of student assessment defines the de facto curriculum"

“Assessing Students”, Derek Rowntree '77

The Problem with Programming

• It is difficult to assess programming ability in a traditional written exam.

• Programming exercises are subject to plagiarism; a serious problem in introductory programming courses.

• If you do not assess something, the students will not learn it.

Computer Programming 1

• So what are we to do?• The starting point is to have good

assessment.• If the only way that they can pass is by

learning to program; then they will at least try to learn to program.

• Lab work not directly assessed (i.e. was simply to improve programming ability)

Forces

• Non-completion rates– Computing courses have high attrition rates

• Computer Programming– Studies show that many Introductory

Programming Courses do not work

Year Size PointsFailure

rate

Sem 1 Prog Exam

’97-’98 150 410 20%

’98-’99 150 420 15%

’99-’00 300 385 30%

’00-’01 300 385 20% 30%

’01-’02 300 360 20%

Year Size PointsFailure

rate

Sem 1 Prog Exam

’97-’98 150 410 20%

’98-’99 150 420 15%

’99-’00 300 385 30%

’00-’01 300 385 20% 30%

’01-’02 300 360 20%

Year Size PointsFailure

rate

Sem 1 Prog Exam

’97-’98 150 410 20%

’98-’99 150 420 15%

’99-’00 300 385 30%

’00-’01 300 385 20% 30%

’01-’02 300 360 20%

Improvements

• ’00-’01: Real programming Assessment and (and corresponding teaching changes) led to a reduction in failures 30% to 20%

• ’01-’02: Lab improvements led to a reduction in failure rates (in semester 1) 30% to 20% and improvement in female scores

Lab Improvements• We restructured the entire timetable

– Labs followed lectures

– All labs on simultaneously

• Used 2nd years to tutor 1st years– Special training course for the second years

– 1 lab tutor for a bay of 10 students

– Monitored lab tutors

– Web based feedback system

• Encouraged social interaction– Ice-breaking session

Over to Dave

End part 1

Increase Motivation

• Well organised course: week semester

• Have clear course objectives

• Explicit instructions

• Explicit Warnings

• Interesting programming problems

• Have high expectations of the students

Cater for a range of abilities

• Good students– All labs have optional questions.– Three programming competitions.

• Weaker students– Peer tutors directed to weaker students.– Extra remedial classes.– Intensive refresher course between semesters.

Encourage Problem Solving Approach

• Emphasize that rote learning gets you nowhere.

• Assess for problem solving e.g.– Early (week 6) programming exams marked by

computer.

• Lab work not directly assessed (i.e. was simply to improve programming ability)

Year Points SizeFailure

rateProg Exam

’97-’98 150 20%

’98-’99 420 150 15%

’99-’00 385 300 30%

’00-’01 385 300 20% 30%

’01-’02 360 300 20%

• Double class size

150

300