Design and evaluation of a block-based environment with a data science context

Abstract:

As computing becomes pervasive across fields, introductory computing curricula needs new tools to motivate and educate the influx of learners with little prior background and divergent goals. We seek to improve curricula by enriching it with authentic, real-world contexts and powerful scaffolds that can guide learners to success using automated tools, thereby reducing the strain on limited human instructional resources. To address these issues, we have created the BlockPy programming environment, a web-based, open-access, open-source platform for introductory computing students (https://www.blockpy.com). BlockPy has an embedded data science context that allows learners to connect the educational content with real-world scenarios through meaningful problems. The environment is block-based and gives guiding feedback to learners as they complete problems, but also mediates transfer to more …

Año de publicación:

2017

Keywords:

Fuente:

google