Tag: collaboration

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Teaching Programming with Minecraft Education: A Reflection

Introduction

Integrating innovative tools to enhance learning is essential in the dynamic landscape of computer science education. This term, I embarked on a collaborative journey to weave Minecraft Education into a Programming 11/12 course. Our objective was to enliven the curriculum by presenting programming concepts in a more engaging and interactive manner. This reflection delves into our experiences, with a particular focus on the concept of functions.

Lesson Overview

Our lesson was carefully prepared to guide students through the fundamentals of functions in programming via the Minecraft Education platform. This approach aimed to convert abstract concepts into concrete, relatable experiences, thus making learning both enjoyable and impactful.

The session began with a simple introduction to functions in Minecraft Education using MakeCode, drawing parallels with real-life scenarios to demystify these concepts. The goal was to underscore the significance of reusing code efficiently. For instance, we showcased a function that could construct various parts of a structure, such as walls, roofs, and fences. This hands-on demonstration helped students visualize the workings of functions, deepening their comprehension.

Makecode Interface

Subsequently, we organized the students into small teams for a series of Minecraft challenges. Each group applied their newfound knowledge to construct farm elements using coded functions. Encouraging students to build barns, animal enclosures, and residential structures, this immersive experience was crucial in reinforcing the lessons imparted and empowering students to explore coding within the game environment. While the MakeCode IDE is freely available online at https://minecraft.makecode.com/,  it is important to note that witnessing the code’s execution within Minecraft Education itself requires a paid subscription for each student (which we lacked for this iteration).

Following the building activities, groups presented their projects, explained their code, and engaged in Q&A sessions. This exercise culminated in the creation of a complete farm ecosystem (with a small amount of manual intervention), facilitating peer learning and evaluating their understanding of the lesson.

finished barn

The lesson wrapped up with a debriefing segment, which focused the role of functions in streamlining complex coding tasks. We also distributed surveys to gauge the students’ experiences with the lesson.

Reflections and Learnings

Reflecting on the teaching process, I’ve recognized the crucial need for thorough preparation ahead of each class. Although the lesson itself was effective, there are areas where we could have utilized our time more judiciously.

Time Management:

Our planning meetings often veered towards administrative topics, detracting from the core lesson content. This experience has ingrained in me the importance of arriving at meetings well-prepared and with preliminary research completed, to maximize our collaborative efforts.

Technical Challenges:

Establishing a connection to the same Minecraft world across various platforms, such as PC and Mac, presented significant hurdles. This impacted our preparations and underscored the necessity for preemptive compatibility checks for future sessions. The tightly controlled environment of Minecraft Education by Microsoft impeded remote learning, suggesting that Minecraft Education is best suited to in-lab settings. Remote functionality was unreliable, as indicated by non-descriptive connection error messages like “timed out,” and support from Microsoft was less than helpful. The trial version of the software, supposedly available to schools with Microsoft logins, also failed to work, potentially necessitating IT intervention.

Student Engagement:

The lesson garnered positive feedback and high engagement levels, with the practical application of programming concepts within a familiar gaming environment being a key factor in its success. Nonetheless, some students noted that the inability to run the code hindered the debugging process. Ensuring every student has access to the necessary software and hardware will be a priority for future lessons.

The Power of Interactive Learning:

A major insight from this endeavour is the profound impact of interactive learning tools such as Minecraft in teaching intricate subjects like programming. Students were more engaged and assimilated the concept of functions more thoroughly compared to conventional teaching methods.

Conclusion

Incorporating Minecraft into our programming curriculum has been enlightening for students and educators. It has accentuated the significance of preparation, flexibility, and the assurance of technical compatibility to facilitate a seamless learning experience. The positive student feedback and evident boost in engagement and comprehension underscore our conviction in the power of interactive learning tools. As we progress, we are determined to refine our methods, confront the technical obstacles, and seek inventive strategies to render education more captivating and effective.

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Measuring Student Contribution in a Software Engineering Team

Introduction

In software engineering, there is very little consensus on how to measure an individual developer’s contribution. Although many measures have been proposed, their usefulness in the industry lacks validation, particularly from the perspectives of team leaders and managers (Lima et al., 2015). The lack of measurement also challenges educators (Gardner et al., 2003). This post will examine student developer contributions within the context of a software engineering project.

ISTE Standard 4.6 advocates for ed tech coaches to be data-driven decision-makers using qualitative and quantitative data to inform their decisions. Standard 4.6b states, “Support educators to interpret qualitative and quantitative data to inform their decisions and support individual student learning.” Techniques discussed in this article could be used to measure student engagement and fulfillment in a team project and give insight into where instruction can be altered in a software engineering course.

I will begin by examining the use of chat platforms like Discord to track individual student contributions. Next, I’ll discuss the role of peer evaluations in assessing team member input. Lastly, I’ll introduce repository mining techniques to quantify these contributions.

Live chat Activity

We’ll start with what I consider the least effective among the three metrics. In recent years, many modern developers have adopted Discord as a tool for real-time communication and collaboration in software engineering projects. Fundamentally, Discord channels serve as dedicated spaces for text, voice, and video communication. In educational contexts, these channels can be structured to reflect the various teams within a software project, facilitating organized, topic-specific discussions. Such channels can host various activities, from casual interactions and planning sessions to problem-solving discussions and code reviews, closely mirroring a real-world software development environment. Furthermore, Discord captures all these interactions, creating a comprehensive, searchable archive of every conversation and exchange.

Moreover, thanks to its bot-integration features, Discord is increasingly seen as an innovative tool for gauging student contributions in team-based projects. Analytical bots like Statbot offer detailed statistics on individual interactions on the platform, enabling the assessment of each student’s engagement. Chat histories also supply quantitative data on the quality of contributions in software engineering team projects.

However, while bots offer valuable quantitative and analytical insights, it’s important to complement this data with qualitative evaluations. Direct observations, feedback sessions, and individual discussions remain indispensable for grasping the subtleties of each student’s input. It’s also vital to address privacy concerns and uphold ethical standards in monitoring, ensuring clear guidelines and transparency from the instructor’s side.

Peer Evaluations

Gardner et al. (2003) conducted a study exploring the use of group member ratings to gauge relative contributions among students in a software engineering team project course. At the end of the project, students rate each team member’s contributions across four criteria using a five-point scale:

  • Attendance at team meetings.
  • Volunteering for and carrying out tasks.
  • Quality of work performed.
  • Effectiveness in communicating ideas.

The findings suggest that these anonymous peer ratings are reliable for ranking team members on their contributions. While students often rate themselves higher than their teammates, the relative contributions ranking remains consistent, which aligns with previous research (West, 2018, Ch.16).

This approach quantifies peer perceptions of engagement and effort. It motivates students to interact and collaborate and allows teams to self-manage contributions. However, limitations exist. Students may not accurately judge true contributions. Dominant personalities could influence ratings. Moreover, if grades hinge directly on these ratings, it might encourage score inflation.

Despite its limitations, peer ratings offer a systematic method to encourage and gauge participation in team projects. They represent the firsthand insights of teammates into individual efforts and team dynamics. Instructors should triangulate peer evaluations with other performance indicators to mitigate potential biases. When applied thoughtfully, group member ratings can be a scalable tool to enhance accountability and ensure equitable effort distribution within student engineering teams.

Using Git Repositories

While subjective peer evaluations are commonly used, analyzing data from git repositories provides an objective lens into individual contributions, revealing insights into aspects like collaboration patterns, subsystem ownership, and consistency of participation (Lima et al., 2015). Instructors can combine these repository-based metrics with subjective evaluations to assess student effort and engagement better.

A fundamental metric is examining each student’s number of commits over time, called code contribution (Lima et al., 2015). This helps reveal whether students contribute regularly throughout the project or make concentrated commits right before deadlines. Students with relatively few commits thinly spread across the weeks likely contributed minimally, while a student with a steady stream of commits each week demonstrates consistent engagement (Glassy, 2006).

Examining the content of commits also provides insights into contribution quality. The code complexity measure is also widely accepted as a good measure of contribution. The code complexity measure considers the complexity and difficulty of the sub-problem being solved. Complexity measures were proposed by McCabe in 1976 and are still widely used today to examine git repositories. The measures analyze code complexity before and after a team member has altered it. Low commit complexity suggests weaker contributions to the team’s software development processes.

A variation of the code complexity measure is the bug-related measures, which measure the contribution to bug introductions and bug-fixing. However, this measure has limitations because some bug fixes do not require writing code, mitigating the developer’s efforts (Lima et al., 2015). Also, advanced repository analysis can reveal collaboration patterns within student teams. Tools like FRASR and ProM introduced by Poncin et al. (2011) can extract event logs from student repository data (using FRASR) and subsequently analyze the development process (with ProM). This tool also incorporates developer roles and adherence to certain development models. 

Of course, reliance solely on git metrics has limitations. First, commits mainly represent coding contributions, overlooking other forms of participation like verbal collaboration and project leadership (Lima et al., 2015). Second, students can artificially inflate their repository activity metrics if they know the algorithm being used. Despite these drawbacks, analyzing git data provides valuable insights into individual participation on student software teams. Instructors should interpret repository metrics not as absolute contribution measures but as launching points for further investigation.

Conclusion

By balancing quantitative git data with qualitative peer evaluations, product assessments, and student interviews, instructors can obtain a more equitable evaluation of individuals. Nonetheless, there is a strong correlation between subject and objective measures of contribution to a project (Hundhausen et al., 2022). Software engineering courses require team projects, but assessing individual accountability remains vital. Combining subjective reviews and objective repository analysis helps reveal a more accurate picture of each student’s contributions and commitment.

References

Lima, J., Christoph Treude, Fernando Figueira Filho, & Kulesza, U. (2015). Assessing developer contribution with repository mining-based metrics. https://doi.org/10.1109/icsm.2015.7332509

Gardner, W. (2003). Assessing individual contributions to group software projects. In 8th Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education (WCCCE’03) (pp. 33-50).

Hundhausen, C. D., Conrad, P. T., Carter, A. S., & Adesope, O. (2022). Assessing individual contributions to software engineering projects: a replication study. Computer Science Education, 32(3), 335–354. https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.2022.2071543

West, R. E. (2018). Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. https://doi.org/10.59668/3

Glassy, L. (2006). Using version control to observe student software development processes. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 21(3), 99–106.

McCabe, T. J. (1976). A Complexity Measure. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, SE-2(4), 308–320. https://doi.org/10.1109/tse.1976.233837

Poncin, W., Serebrenik, A., & Mark. (2011). Mining student capstone projects with FRASR and ProM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2048147.2048181

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Teaching Computer Science with Minecraft

Introduction to Minecraft

Minecraft is currently one of the most popular games of 2023, boasting over 140 million monthly active users, according to searchlogistics.com. Despite this popularity, many players overlook that Minecraft offers an engaging and immersive environment for learning terminal commands, programming basics, computational thinking, and even artificial intelligence. ISTE standard 4.3a for coaches indicates that a successful coach should “Establish trusting and respectful coaching relationships that encourage educators to explore new instructional strategies.” So, in this blog post, I will delve into the educational benefits of Minecraft and explore the differences between the Java and Education editions.

While Minecraft is often regarded as merely a game, educators have recognized its potential as a valuable learning tool. At its core, Minecraft is built upon programming concepts. Players use blocks made of various materials to construct anything they can imagine, from simple houses to complex machines that require advanced knowledge of electronics, chemistry, and physics. This encourages computational thinking, creativity, and problem-solving as students work to bring their visions to life.

Concerning programming, Minecraft helps teach fundamental coding concepts, including commands, functions, variables, loops, and conditionals. Students can employ block-based coding or full-fledged programming languages such as Python and JavaScript to automate actions within the game. This hands-on approach to learning captivates students more effectively than traditional coding lessons, as Minecraft provides them with an imaginative space to immediately apply their newfound skills. Creating Minecraft modifications (mods) teaches students how to extend existing programs, a critical programming skill.

Minecraft Versions

Several versions of Minecraft are available for players to choose from, including Minecraft: Java Edition, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, Minecraft: Education Edition, and Minecraft: Pocket Edition. However, for the specific purpose of our educational analysis, we will concentrate solely on the Java and Education editions. These two versions offer unique features and opportunities for learning that make them particularly relevant in an educational context.

Minecraft: Java Edition

Opening screen of Minecraft: Java Edition

The Java Edition is the original version of Minecraft developed in 2009 by Mojang Studios for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and maintains its popularity among long-time Minecraft players.

The Java Edition offers distinct advantages when teaching advanced computer science concepts due to its “mod-ability” and access to the source code of the game environment. The semi-open-source nature of the Java Edition allows for limitless customization through mods and plugins. Writing mods can illustrate a wide range of advanced programming concepts, including event handling, parallel programming, algorithms, data structures, debugging, and software design patterns. Developing mods not only imparts practical software development skills but also encourages students to show their creativity.

The Minecraft community has produced numerous mods that cater to various lesson plans. For instance, ComputerCraft introduces programmable turtle robots, while RedstonePlus enhances the game with advanced circuitry. The diversity of available mods supports a wide range of educational objectives, not only in CS but other disciplines.

Minecraft: Education/Bedrock Edition

Opening screen of Minecraft: Education Edition

Minecraft: Bedrock Edition was initially released in August 2011 and is particularly advantageous for classrooms with various devices. Bedrock Edition supports mobile devices such as iPads and Android tablets, which many schools already incorporate into their teaching environments. This enables students to start their Minecraft lessons on a classroom desktop computer during the day and seamlessly continue playing on their smartphones or game consoles at home.

However, Bedrock Edition offers less mod support and limited access to code customization. Minecraft Education Edition is a version of Bedrock specifically tailored for classroom use. According to Microsoft, it “typically runs about one full version behind the current Minecraft Bedrock production version” (FAQ: Game Features, 2023).

Advantages of Minecraft Education in the Classroom

One of the most significant advantages of Minecraft Education in a computer science course is its block-based CodeBuilder / MakeCode editor, similar to Scratch or Snap. This editor allows students to drag and drop commands to perform actions in the game. Younger students can learn coding logic and structure by creating houses, gardens, and machines using these visual blocks before transitioning to text-based programming languages like Python or JavaScript.

Another advantage of Education Edition is the teachers’ ability to implement special restrictions, such as limiting chat or preventing students from destroying blocks. These classroom controls create a safe environment for student exploration. Teachers can also switch to spectator mode to observe students and provide feedback; they also have the capability to build worlds and restrict access as needed. Here is a quick start guide for reference.

The Education Edition library offers hundreds of pre-made interactive worlds and lesson plans aligned with computer science curriculum standards (source: https://education.minecraft.net/en-us/resources/computer-science-subject-kit). Teachers can find lesson plans tailored to any grade level, making it much easier for educators to get started with Minecraft compared to building worlds from scratch.

According to research by Bile (2022), their study found that children aged 8 to 10 in a Minecraft education setting were able to solve abstract and complex scientific problems without prior prompting or theoretical knowledge. The game format also helped students retain knowledge better. Vostinar & Dobrota (2022) similarly found that in a primary school class, even though the majority of students had not programmed before in block or Python, they found the lesson enjoyable and easy. Furthermore, according to Nika Klimová et al. (2021), girls in grades 5-10 typically outperform boys in Minecraft education coding challenges, suggesting it may be a valuable tool for increasing diversity in computer science.

Disadvantages of Minecraft

As Vostinar & Dobrota (2022, p. 652) pointed out, there are significant disadvantages to using Minecraft in education. One such drawback is that Minecraft is not free and requires an additional cost per student, which, as mentioned in my previous post, raises ethical concerns about the practice of making students pay for educational software. Another disadvantage is that Minecraft may only appeal to a certain type of student, particularly those with a more creative inclination, potentially excluding students who do not have an affinity for the game.

Furthermore, teachers must become proficient in the game’s mechanics and capabilities to integrate it into the classroom effectively. Given the abundance of “cheats” in Minecraft, more experienced players may find trivial command-line solutions to problems if the teacher is unaware of their existence. Finally, as highlighted by Vostinar & Dobrota (2022), it’s essential to impose adequate constraints on the virtual world, especially when students collaborate, to prevent them from destroying the world with TNT blocks and other mining tools.

References:

Vostinar, P., & Dobrota, R. (2022). Minecraft as a Tool for Teaching Online Programming. 2022 45th Jubilee International Convention on Information, Communication and Electronic Technology (MIPRO). https://doi.org/10.23919/mipro55190.2022.9803384

Bile, A. (2022). Development of intellectual and scientific abilities through game-programming in Minecraft. Education and Information Technologies, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10894-z

Nika Klimová, Jakub Sajben, & Lovászová, G. (2021). Online Game-Based Learning through Minecraft: Education Edition Programming Contest. https://doi.org/10.1109/educon46332.2021.9453953

FAQ: Game Features. (2023, September 15). Minecraft Education. https://educommunity.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/360047117692-FAQ-Game-Features

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Reflecting on a Study of Competitive Programming and Cultural Inclusion

Length of Study

The study is designed to take place over two academic terms, which provides adequate time to collect meaningful data. The inclusion of an initial summer term without competitive programming establishes a baseline for comparison. The second summer term incorporates competitive programming using standardized questions, allowing assessment of this pedagogical approach. The fall term offering adds the dimension of culturally relevant questions, enabling analysis of their impact. Extending the study over multiple terms enables more robust data collection and analysis.

Promoting Active and Engaged Learning

The core content is delivered through weekly lectures focused on programming concepts. The competitive programming contests complement the lectures by providing opportunities to practice applying concepts. Weekly competitive programming contests foster active learning in several key ways. Students must apply conceptual knowledge to solve concrete programming problems. This process reinforces their understanding and helps identify knowledge gaps. The contest format adds an engaging gamification element through scoring, feedback, and peer comparison. Using standardized questions initially assesses whether baseline content needs are being met.

Introducing culturally relevant questions aims to promote better integration of concepts by relating them to students’ cultural knowledge and experiences. Having students co-create contest questions in the fall term further activates learning. They must think critically to develop culturally relevant problems that integrate with the content. This approach promotes deeper engagement with the material and encourages collaboration with classmates, allowing students to take ownership of their learning.

Addressing Teachers’ Needs

The study aims to provide teachers with insight into using competitive programming and culturally relevant pedagogy. The data collected will help determine the effectiveness of these approaches in an international educational setting. Instructors will gain an understanding of how competitive programming engages students versus standardized practice problems. They will also see whether student-created culturally relevant questions increase participation and motivation. The study addresses teachers’ needs for effective and inclusive instructional strategies. They will gain practical knowledge from the comparative data on different contest designs.

Promoting Collaborative Participation

Collaboration is encouraged through the group development of culturally relevant contest questions. Students can brainstorm and build on each other’s ideas, which fosters teamwork. Producing questions from diverse cultural perspectives requires working together. Students are also given the choice of problem-solving in teams. Students can motivate each other and strategize in groups for the competitions. Their scores are tracked on a collective leaderboard which reinforces the collaborative element. The shift from individual to team contest creation necessitates and enables productive collaboration.

The multi-term study design, interactive contest format, customized problems, and collaborative elements demonstrate an interesting pedagogical approach that promotes engaged and inclusive learning. The results should provide valuable insights for computer science educators.

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Culturally Responsive Computing Approaches

Introduction

Culturally responsive computing (CRC) is an approach to designing technology education programs and tools that responds to the cultural contexts of learners and represents an intersection between computer science, education, and sociocultural understanding. It has roots in the extensive and well-studied area of culturally responsive teaching (CRT), which argues that empowering diverse students requires building on the cultural assets they bring to the classroom. CRC translates fundamental principles of CRT to computer science education and ensures that the cultural experiences of learners, particularly those from underrepresented groups, are valued and used to enhance their learning experience. In this blog post, I will uncover some examples of research that has established the critical role CRC plays in promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity in the computer science classroom.

History of CRC

Foundational concepts for CRC were established between the early and mid-1990s. Henderson (1996) argued that instructional design models for teaching technology must consider diverse learners’ cultural orientations. Henderson proposed the Multiple Cultural Model for instructional design, which sheds light on the various dimensions that influence how diverse cultural groups interact with multimedia learning environments. For instance, some cultures might lean towards cooperative learning, while others favour competition.

In 1999, McLoughlin outlined features necessary for culturally appropriate online learning for Indigenous Australian students, emphasizing participatory tasks and problem-based dialogue. Subsequently, Lee (2003) presented a framework designed to ensure that computing tools and environments respond effectively to the prior knowledge, perspectives, and motivations of minority learners. This framework was shown through software that facilitated literacy development among African American students, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

Limitations of the CRC Framework

Drawing on their programs, Scott, Sheridan, and Clark (2014) implemented their unique CRC programs, critiquing the limitations of traditional asset-based approaches and advocating for direct cultural responsiveness. Their arguments highlighted the following points:

  1. All youth possess the capability for digital innovation, thereby challenging deficit perspectives.
  2. Learning environments should promote transformational uses of technology.
  3. Paying attention to intersectional identities can foster innovation in computing.
  4. Students should utilize technology to reflect on their complex identities.
  5. Success should be defined by creating for community benefit rather than merely acquiring skills.

They provided examples such as critiquing biased media representations and encouraging students to create media that affirmed their identities. The implications of their arguments include the need to revise methods and measures, conduct intersectional research, and promote collaboration between computer experts and communities. CRC can potentially address digital equity through innovation, especially when implementations consider students’ multifaceted identities.

Culturally Responsive Computing Tools

Reflecting on these limitations, Morales-Chicas et al. (2019) conducted a comprehensive study on the tools and strategies employed in K-12 computing education for CRC. They identified the following emergent themes:

The first was sociopolitical consciousness-raising, which pertains to lessons that address real-world issues and promote activism. For example, COMPUGIRLS is a CRC program for adolescent girls of colour from underserved communities. Drawing on principles of culturally responsive teaching, including asset building, connectedness, and reflection, the program equips girls with the technological skills needed to research and address community issues. Participants reported increased confidence, the development of identities as technology innovators, and a feeling of empowerment from creating projects that address social justice issues.

Another theme is incorporating heritage culture through artifacts, like designs and symbols. Examples include programs encouraging student-created media to challenge stereotypes and software that builds on cultural practices, such as hair braiding patterns (Eglash & Bennett, 2009). This builds community connections, which involve community members sharing cultural knowledge and motivating students to engage actively.

Vernacular culture employs local cultural practices that are relevant to students. An example is the American Distributed Multiple Learning Styles Systems (AADMLSS), a programming tool designed to engage African American students using math and characters representing their vernacular culture. Studies have shown a surge in youth engagement due to the high cultural relevance of this approach.

Lastly, the theme of lived experiences connects to students’ identities and real-world contexts. For instance, Scott & White (2013) argued that CRC should consider students’ lived experiences and encourage self-representation, evidenced by a youth exercise in COMPUGIRLS on identifying gender biases in avatar creation. Also, by introducing personalized elements into a course, students can analyze this aspect of the computing experience critically, further enabling the customization of computing projects.

Conclusions

Studies have scrutinized the implications of the developments in CRC. For assessment, this necessitates a move beyond narrow measures such as grades or test scores to capture complex identity outcomes (Scott & White, 2013). From a methodological perspective, it requires attention to intersectionality, considering how factors such as race, gender, and class shape technology experiences (Scott, Sheridan & Clark, 2014), more research is required to understand its effects on diverse populations and domains. In practice, CRC should adopt a multi-disciplinary stance, adopting collaboration between communities, social scientists, and computer scientists (Eglash et al., 2013).

Therefore, we call on computer science educators, tech companies, and community organizations to take the following actions:

  • Allow greater curriculum flexibility for CS instructors to adapt courses to their students’ cultures and identities, to discover the intersects for each student.
  • Develop alternative metrics focused on identity development, community impact, and equitable outcomes to complement skills-based measures.
  • Increase engagement of families and communities as partners in developing computing programs.
  • To exchange knowledge, Foster collaboration (through incentives) between tech companies, social scientists, and CS educators.

References

McLoughlin, C. (1999). Culturally responsive technology use: developing an on‐line community of learners. British Journal of Educational Technology, 30(3), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8535.00112

Lee, C. D. (2003). Toward A Framework for Culturally Responsive Design in Multimedia Computer Environments: Cultural Modeling as a Case. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 10(1), 42–61. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327884mca1001_05

Henderson, L. (1996). Instructional design of interactive multimedia: A cultural critique. Educational Technology Research and Development, 44(4), 85–104. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02299823

Morales-Chicas, J., Castillo, M., Bernal, I., Ramos, P., & Guzman, B. (2019). Computing with Relevance and Purpose: A Review of Culturally Relevant Education in Computing. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 21(1), 125. https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v21i1.1745

Eglash, R., & Bennett, A. (2009). Teaching with Hidden Capital: Agency in Children’s Computational Explorations of Cornrow Hairstyles. Children, Youth and Environments, 19(1), 58–73. https://doi.org/10.1353/cye.2009.0024

Scott, K. A., & White, M. A. (2013). COMPUGIRLS’ Standpoint. Urban Education, 48(5), 657–681. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085913491219

Scott, K. A., Sheridan, K. M., & Clark, K. (2014). Culturally responsive computing: a theory revisited. Learning, Media and Technology, 40(4), 412–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2014.924966

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Competitive Programming Tools in the Classroom

Introduction

For young and upcoming computer scientists, competitive programming can be a powerful tool to hone essential skills. It helps sharpen problem-solving and analytical thinking abilities and provides the creative opportunity to experiment with algorithms in a safe and structured environment. With that said, introducing competitive programming into the classroom curriculum can open exciting opportunities for students of all ages, from elementary school through high school and beyond. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what competitive programming is, why educators should consider bringing it into their classrooms and how they can do so successfully.

Competitive Programming and its Benefits for Students

One critical benefit of competitive programming is the development of problem-solving skills. Competitive programming challenges students to solve complex algorithmic and logical problems under pressure. This process helps enhance critical thinking and analytical skills and encourages students to approach problems from multiple angles. These skills are essential not only for programming but also for handling challenging situations. Students participating in competitive programming are exposed to different programming languages, tools, and mathematical methods, which they apply to discover new concepts and techniques. This exposure allows students to identify their strengths and interests in software development and tailor their learning to focus on these areas.

The interactive nature of competitive programming creates an ideal platform for students to develop teamwork and collaboration skills. In a team contest, students can organize themselves into teams during competitions and work together to solve problems. This process fosters a culture of collaboration, mutual respect and helps to build teamwork. Students can learn from each other to improve their coding skills and tackle complex problems requiring the cooperation of different skill sets. The competitions are rigorous and challenging, but successfully solving a difficult problem can increase a student’s confidence, self-esteem, sense of accomplishment, and motivation to participate in more challenges (Macgowan, 2015). This self-confidence can extend beyond the competition to other areas of their lives, whether in the classroom, workplace, or personal lives.

We are, of course, leaving out the most obvious – competitive programming can enhance a student’s career in the tech industry. Competitions can exhibit a student’s talent and abilities to a network of potential recruiters and employers such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple, to name a few. Participating in competitions can increase networking opportunities, learn about job positions and companies, and prepare for recruitment. Tech giants such as AWS, IBM, and Huawei frequently sponsor international programming competitions such as ACM’s International Collegiate Programming Contest. The skills learned through competitive programming, including problem-solving, teamwork, and collaboration, are highly valued in today’s workplace and in-demand careers such as software development, data analysis, and project management.

Integrating Competitive Programming in the Classroom

Competitive programming can be a powerful learning tool for students, but finding the right resources can be overwhelming. To ensure that your students get the most out of their competitive programming lessons, it’s essential to choose resources that are challenging yet accessible, engaging, and proven to deliver results.

There are several useful resources to consider, such as textbooks, coding challenges, online forums, and programming contests. Seeking advice from experienced professionals and replicating past contests can also be helpful. When selecting resources, it’s important to consider the age appropriateness of the material and adjust the difficulty level to match the students’ skills.

Younger students can benefit from beginner-based coding platforms such as Snap (https://snap.berkeley.edu/) , CodeCombat (https://codecombat.com/) , and Tynker, as well as game-based projects from the Code Olympiad (https://www.codeolympiad.id/). These tools contain less competition and is geared more towards learning.

For middle or high school students, resources like The USACO Guide (https://usaco.guide/general/intro-cp?lang=cpp) and alGIRLithm (https://algirlithm.org/) are gentle introductions to competitive programming.

For even more advanced students, tools like vjudge (https://vjudge.net/) can be used to curate online judges and create custom contests for practice assessments, icebreaker games, or class exercises. With these resources, teachers can engage student participation, foster collaboration, and add an exciting twist to classroom activities. Watch the following video for a simple workflow on how to create a classroom contest:

Textbooks, coding challenges, online forums, and programming contests are some useful resources to consider. Seek advice from professionals in the field who use technical interviews to find the right resources for your classroom. Replicating past contests from experienced colleagues is also useful. To identify resources for competitive programming in the classroom, it is important to look for age-appropriate resources. For example, middle or high school students may benefit from resources like The USACO guide and alGIRLithm, which are gentle introductions to competitive programming. Additionally, it is important to consider the material’s difficulty level

Conclusions and Recommendations:

As we discussed in an earlier post, gamified activities, when properly used in the classroom, create an engaging and enjoyable learning experience by adding elements such as scoring, rewards, and checkpoints. Adding these features within competitive programming can help students enjoy the process of learning new algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving techniques, making it a rewarding and enjoyable experience. There must also be an element of progress in the contest. A strong sense of progress is one of the most significant benefits of gamification. Game elements such as ranks, badges, or community recognition can be incredibly motivating. In a team contest, competitive programming can help encourage collaboration and networking through various social features, such as leaderboards and chat rooms. Discussing strategies and approaches with other coders can help students get support and feedback on their work.

It’s worth noting that, despite its benefits, competitive programming is not suitable for all students. As the competitive programming community is filled with members who prioritize winning over all else and devote excessive amounts of time to these platforms, such people struggle to balance their personal and professional lives. Furthermore, competitive programming does not reflect real-world programming, as the development workflows and responsibilities involved are very different (mehulmpt, 2020). Instead, it serves as a means to an end. If you aren’t enjoying the ride, there’s a chance you won’t enjoy the outcome, either. Thus, it is not advisable to use competitive programming as an assessment tool for assignments or exams, as this would only add stress and increase feelings of competitiveness among students.

References

Macgowan, M. J., & Wong, S. E. (2015). Improving Student Confidence in Using Group Work Standards. Research on Social Work Practice, 27(4), 434–440. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731515587557

‌mehulmpt. (2020, June 27). Mythbusting Competitive Programming – You Don’t Need to Learn It. FreeCodeCamp.org. https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/mythbusting-competitive-programming/

Zhan, Z., He, L., Tong, Y., Liang, X., Guo, S., & Lan, X. (2022). The effectiveness of gamification in programming education: Evidence from a meta-analysis. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100096. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100096

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How Effective are Pair Programming Tools for one-on-one Collaboration with Students and Colleagues?

Introduction

The practice of pair programming is a software development methodology that involves two programmers working jointly on one workstation to accomplish a shared objective. The two programmers involved in the pairing exercise work together to solve a single problem, with one functioning as the driver whose primary task is to write the code, while the other acts as the observer responsible for proposing potential improvements to the code and thinking strategically about the big picture.

The driver and observer’s roles are often rotated at predetermined intervals to keep the pairing exercise productive and engaging. This periodic rotation of roles is intended to prevent one of the programmers from becoming overly exhausted or unfocused during the task. The benefits of pair programming are to generate well-designed and standardized code while improving productivity, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among team members. It also facilitates rapid problem-solving and reduces the probability of code errors. Moreover, it allows team members to learn from each other, share expertise and knowledge, and develop better communication skills.

The pandemic forced many software developers to transition to remote work, resulting in the need for technological advancements to facilitate remote software engineering workflows. One such innovation was an extension known as “Live Share,” which was developed specifically for remote pair programming. The following video shows the workflow of the “Live Share” extension.  It also highlights several main features:

Live Share Features

Applying LiveShare to Teaching

Since the process and workflows are very similar, I aim to delve into the effectiveness of utilizing this extension for connecting with students on a one-on-one basis as well as collaborating with colleagues on teaching materials. It is worth noting that these use cases are not the primary focus of the extension. Nevertheless, I am interested in exploring the potential benefits of using the “Live Share” extension in the following scenarios:

Scenario 1: Collaborating with Colleagues

A computer science coach is tasked with helping her computer science teachers create materials for their classes. In order to accomplish this, she uses the “Live Share” extension to work remotely with a teacher to develop and refine class materials in real time. Using this strategy, teachers and coaches can more effectively foresee problems and ensure students have the support they need to succeed.

One of the key benefits of using “Live Share” in this context is the ability to work together on specific problems that students may encounter during class. For example, if there is a coding assignment that many students are struggling with, the teacher and coach can collaborate in real-time to find possible solutions and prepare debugging strategies for anticipated student problems. This can be incredibly valuable, as it allows the teacher to work through issues quickly and efficiently, ensuring that students are able to keep up with the pace of the class.

Scenario 2:

A group of five students in a class are working on a programming assignment, and the teacher monitors their progress remotely while giving live feedback. The teacher uses “Live Share” and connects to her each of her student’s IDEs remotely.  During the live session, the teacher can monitor the progress of each of her students while giving feedback using the chat functionality.  She is also able to help students debug by writing hints into their code whenever they’re stuck.  Furthermore, she is able to insert breakpoints for her students remotely to help them with the debugging process.

By examining the potential advantages and limitations of utilizing the “Live Share” extension in these scenarios, we can gain a deeper understanding of its potential as a tool for enhancing remote teaching and learning in the field of computer science. The following video shows a high-level workflow of a teacher connecting remotely with a student as an observer and engaging in a short lesson:

Remote Teaching with LiveShare on Visual Studio Code

General analysis:

During my two-hour experience with “live share,” I was pleasantly surprised by the tool’s exceptional features that aides in code reviews and debugging. The tool allows multiple programmers to work simultaneously on the same codebase, which proved to be immensely helpful, particularly when dealing with intricate problems. It streamlines the process, making it more efficient and allowing for effective team collaboration. Whether you are working on a problem concurrently with a team member, seeking feedback on your code, or looking for debugging help, this tool will certainly prove to be beneficial.

One standout feature that I came across was the capacity to share a command-line terminal. This feature, among other things, enables remote users to access the local database of the driver, which is extremely useful for troubleshooting issues that may arise during pair programming or mob programming. The real-time collaboration aspect of this feature allowed multiple developers to work together on a data model simultaneously.

Limitations and Final Thoughts

It’s worth mentioning that the extension “live share” was initially created for pair programming. As a result, some of the difficulties I have experienced when using it for teaching may be due to the fact that it was not designed for this specific use case. However, some limitations are still worth discussing when using the app for teaching purposes.

The lack of an integrated voice connection feature can be a challenge. While users can rely on external tools like Zoom, having a built-in audio feature for real-time problem-solving during code reviews or debugging would be more convenient. Although many users have requested that this feature be returned on the extension’s website, there are currently no plans.

Secondly, the observer’s IDE cannot access the driver’s debugger. While this limitation makes sense from a pair programming perspective, it poses a challenge when using the app as a teaching tool since debugging is an important part of teaching new programmers an environment or language.

Finally, setting up the extension requires technical knowledge, which can be difficult for students who lack technical proficiency. It is challenging to differentiate between a local and a production server, particularly when teaching languages or frameworks that involve local servers. Therefore, the app is best suited for teaching relatively simple languages like Python to semi-technical students rather than beginners.