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How to Learn Introductory Programming over Web Virtual Computer Science Studies Description of Introductory Programming Courses
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Haataja, Arto Suhonen, Jarkko Sutinen, Erkki |
| Abstract | A part of the Virtual University of Finland, the eastern Finland universities offer high school students an opportunity to take their first 15 university credits of Computer Science over the Web. At the University of Joensuu courses consist of three parts: general introduction to computers (three credits), introduction to Computer Science (five credits), and programming (seven credits). Instruction is almost entirely delivered over the Web. The students follow a schedule given at the web site, learn the related chapters from their textbooks, and return exercises by strict deadlines. The students live as far as hundred kilometers away from the university and their local high schools have not been able to hire qualified programming teachers. We solved the problem by organizing on-line teachers at the university to answer students' questions and assigning a tutor-with hardly any experience in programming-to encourage the students at the local school. To intensify the learning outcomes, we are planning to use three different learning tools in the web-based course environment: Excel, Jeliot, and BlueJ. Each of these can be used to visually understand a given program. In particular, the environments serve as virtual laboratories for real problems: the students can study their own programs. At the University of Joensuu, the course started in August 2000. Out of the 80 enrolled students, more than 65 were active after the first three months. Altogether, the course will take 16 months. Students' activity and commitment to their studies indicate that the approach chosen to teach programming has proved efficient. In Finland, the Ministry of Education is funding a three-year project to establish the Virtual University of Finland, during years 2001-2003. One of the particular goals in the project is to develop new methods for science education. The three universities in eastern Finland, University of Joensuu, University of Kuopio, and Lappeenranta University of Technology, work jointly in the virtual university project. One of the concrete objectives is to create a web-based learning environment in introductory Computer Science, intended for high schools students. From the research perspective of educational technology and Computer Science education, this task is particularly challenging. We have aimed at designing a solid model for building the environment. The project is called ªvirtual certificateª, indicating that high school students can take 15 credits of Computer Science studies in one and a half year via the Internet [6]. In the Finnish system, each credit equals 40 hours of studying; … |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://edoc.hu-berlin.de/bitstream/handle/18452/1693/Suhonen.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://edoc.hu-berlin.de/conferences/eunis2001/d/Suhonen/PDF/Suhonen.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
