Using the iPad as a pedagogical tool to enhance the learning experince for novice programing students

Teaching programming skills to novice students is very challenging. They usually have to deal with many difficulties including learning the syntax of the programming language along with the logic of devising a solution to an existing problem. They also need to develop many skills to enable them building an abstract mental model of a certain problem, device a solution for it, then implement and test the solution in a correct way. Moreover, they need to understand how programs are compiled and executed. This paper presents our experience of introducing the iPad as a pedagogical tool in our introductory C programming course. The aim was to help students overcome some of their difficulties, and to improve their learning experience. The results of two surveys as well as the official student evaluation of teaching scores show that it was a positive experience in general. The iPad was integrated into the classroom with minimal effort, and provided a friendly environment that facilitated group work, creativity, and independent learning.