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Teaching Programming Amid the Digital Churn: Guidelines and Curriculum for a Laboratory

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Book cover Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Designing the Learner and Teacher Experience (HCII 2022)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 13328))

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Abstract

In the modern and digital society, the importance of software development is undeniable. Therefore, educating the next generation of software developers is crucial. However, learning how to program is challenging, and research on improving programming pedagogy is essential. Adding a laboratory component to programming courses can enhance the education. In this work, we first elicited requirements and guidelines for an introductory programming lab curriculum based on a literature review and feedback by instructors with years of experience. These included the use of (1) current and adequate tools, (2) collaborative learning environment, (3) formative assessment, (4) appropriate assignments for the target audience, (5) pedagogical innovations, and (6) to prepare students to be lifelong learners of the subject. Following, we present a curriculum for an introductory undergraduate programming lab based on the Raspberry Pi platform. It teaches students how to program following software development best practices and integrate software and hardware through a series of cyber-physical assignments, including developing a rover vehicle. We successfully piloted the curriculum with 30 students, and we present the highly positive feedback provided by them. Although the course was based on the C programming language, the underlying foundation on programming principles will allow students to apply the concepts in any language. Furthermore, this curriculum is not intended to be a one-size-fits-all approach to programming education. However, it can be a strong starting point for readers to tailor it to fit their audience, school needs, and student learning outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX, 78228, USA

    Dante Tezza & Ben Abbott

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  1. Dante Tezza
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  2. Ben Abbott
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Correspondence to Dante Tezza .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Multimedia and Graphic Art, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus

    Panayiotis Zaphiris

  2. Research Center on Interactive Media, Smart Systems and Emerging Technologies (CYENS), Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus

    Andri Ioannou

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Tezza, D., Abbott, B. (2022). Teaching Programming Amid the Digital Churn: Guidelines and Curriculum for a Laboratory. In: Zaphiris, P., Ioannou, A. (eds) Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Designing the Learner and Teacher Experience. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13328. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05657-4_35

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05657-4_35

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-05656-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-05657-4

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