Teaching computer programming to science majors by modelling

This study reports the design and implementation of a modelling‐based programming instruction for science majors and its effectiveness on programming and science learning. A modelling approach was proposed to provide guidance to students in implementing solutions for scientific problems in computer programming. This modelling approach includes five stages: (1) phenomenon description, (2) data modelling, (3) algorithmic modelling, (4) coding, and (5) verification and debugging. Authentic scenarios for science learning were adopted in teaching materials and problems to inspire students to learn both the scientific and programming aspects of the underneath phenomena. An empirical experiment to examine the effectiveness of the proposed instruction was conducted in a general education course at a university, and the results showed that students who engaged more in the modelling approach performed better in both the program implementation test and their final projects. In addition, students' feedback agreed with what we had expected the modelling approach would benefit students: they could connect abstract, real‐world phenomena to programming variables and logic by visualizing the phenomena in simulation and animation. Data modelling and algorithmic modelling also helped them analyze the variables in the problem space and propose a solution before coding. Because the proposed instruction provided opportunities to experience the capability of programming in solving scientific problems, high‐programming‐performance students also showed a greater interest in exploring science after the class.

Files

Metadata

Work Title Teaching computer programming to science majors by modelling
Access
Penn State
Creators
  1. Martin Yeh
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publication Date May 13, 2020
Deposited March 02, 2021

Versions

Analytics

Collections

This resource is currently not in any collection.

Work History

Version 1
published

  • Created
  • Added Creator Martin Yeh
  • Added Teaching computer programming to science majors by modelling.pdf
  • Updated Description, Publication Date, License Show Changes
    Description
    • This study reports the design and implementation of a modelling‐based programming
    • instruction for science majors and its effectiveness on programming and
    • science learning. A modelling approach was proposed to provide guidance to
    • students in implementing solutions for scientific problems in computer programming.
    • This modelling approach includes five stages: (1) phenomenon description,
    • (2) data modelling, (3) algorithmic modelling, (4) coding, and (5) verification and
    • debugging. Authentic scenarios for science learning were adopted in teaching
    • materials and problems to inspire students to learn both the scientific and programming
    • aspects of the underneath phenomena. An empirical experiment to
    • examine the effectiveness of the proposed instruction was conducted in a general
    • education course at a university, and the results showed that students who engaged
    • more in the modelling approach performed better in both the program implementation
    • test and their final projects. In addition, students' feedback agreed
    • with what we had expected the modelling approach would benefit students: they
    • could connect abstract, real‐world phenomena to programming variables and logic
    • by visualizing the phenomena in simulation and animation. Data modelling and
    • algorithmic modelling also helped them analyze the variables in the problem space
    • and propose a solution before coding. Because the proposed instruction provided
    • opportunities to experience the capability of programming in solving scientific
    • problems, high‐programming‐performance students also showed a greater interest
    • in exploring science after the class.
    Publication Date
    • 2020-05-13
    License
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated