Comparison of block-based and hybrid-based environments in transferring programming skills to text-based environments
Abstract
Teachers face several challenges when presenting the fundamental concepts of programming in the classroom. Several tools are introduced to give a visual dimension to support the learning process. These tools rely on code blocks, easily manipulated in a plug and play fashion, to build a program. These block-based tools intend to familiarize students with programming logic, before diving into text-based programming languages such as Java, Python, etc. However; when transitioning from block-based to text-based programming, students often encounter a gap in their learning. The student may not be able to apply block-based foundations in a text-based environment. To bridge the gap between both environments, we developed a hybrid-based learning approach. We found that on average a hybrid-based approach increases the students understanding of programming foundations, memorization, and ease of transition by more than 30% when compared to a block-based to text-based learning approach. Finally, we provide the community with an open source, hybrid-based learning tool that can be used by students when learning programming concepts or for future studies.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1906.03060,
title = {Comparison of block-based and hybrid-based environments in transferring programming skills to text-based environments},
author = {Hussein Alrubaye and Stephanie Ludi and Mohamed Wiem Mkaouer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1906.03060},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
Accepted at Proceedings of the 29th Annual International Conference on Computer Science and Software Engineering