Title :
An evaluation of interactive test-driven labs with WebIDE in CS0
Author :
Janzen, David S. ; Clements, John ; Hilton, Marcia
Author_Institution :
California Polytech. State Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
Abstract :
WebIDE is a framework that enables instructors to develop and deliver online lab content with interactive feedback. The ability to create lock-step labs enables the instructor to guide students through learning experiences, demonstrating mastery as they proceed. Feedback is provided through automated evaluators that vary from simple regular expression evaluation to syntactic parsers to applications that compile and run programs and unit tests. This paper describes WebIDE and its use in a CS0 course that taught introductory Java and Android programming using a test-driven learning approach. We report results from a controlled experiment that compared the use of dynamic WebIDE labs with more traditional static programming labs. Despite weaker performance on pre-study assessments, students who used WebIDE performed two to twelve percent better on all assessments than the students who used traditional labs. In addition, WebIDE students were consistently more positive about their experience in CS0.
Keywords :
Java; computer science education; program compilers; Android programming; CS0 course; dynamic WebIDE labs; interactive feedback; interactive test-driven labs; introductory Java; online lab content; static programming labs; syntactic parsers; test-driven learning approach; Computer architecture; Java; Programming; Semantics; Syntactics; Writing; XML;
Conference_Titel :
Software Engineering (ICSE), 2013 35th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
San Francisco, CA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-3073-2
DOI :
10.1109/ICSE.2013.6606659