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Learning computer programming is typically difficult for newcomers. Demotivation and learned helplessness have received much attention. Besides the subject's intricacy, low in-class participation has been associated with poor student achievement. This paper presents a follow-up, stage 2 study on the novel instructional technique, Student-Driven Probe Instruction (SDPI), to address low in-class participation in programming courses. Instead of the teacher lecturing/explaining content to the class and asking questions, students were shown a snippet of code or other relevant material and given the option to ask questions beforehand. The study was conducted in two stages: stage 1 pilot and stage 2. This paper presents the results of stage 2, while stage 1 operations and results are discussed briefly. The number of questions asked in class, real-time Trello board postings, and emails/Slack conversations with the instructor were used to track participation. In-class participation showed significant improvement. Average quiz and in-class activity scores showed marginal gains. Results from the end-of-course survey show that students preferred SDPI over the traditional lecture style since it stirred their interest in the content and provided them the confidence to ask questions in class. The study is purely exploratory in nature, and no conclusions can be drawn due to the extremely small sample size of the student population.

Hour of Code is a widely recognized global event that aims to introduce programming to novice users and integrate computer science into education. This paper presents an analysis of the effectiveness of the support system and user interface of Minecraft Adventurer, a serious game designed for the Hour of Code global event. Although previous studies have primarily focused on the educational benefits of Hour of Code games, there has been limited research on their support methods. Therefore, this paper aims to address this gap with an empirical study of the experience of 104 students who played the game for one hour. Student progress was tracked by an administering teacher and after the game session, a questionnaire was administered to collect data on the participant's perceptions of the support system, interface efficiency, and overall experience with Hour of Code. The results of the study reveal significant problems with the aforementioned systems, which apply not only to Minecraft Adventurer but also to several other similar serious games. Additionally, the findings showed a correlation between the utilization of the support system and student performance, indicating that student's comprehension of the support system significantly influences their learning outcomes. This paper concludes by providing potential solutions to address the identified insufficiencies, offering valuable insights for future researchers and game developers on the design and evaluation of serious games for educational purposes.

This paper presents field-tested improvements over an 11-year period of a large-scale "Introduction to Information Systems" core business school course and provides a framework for implementation. Engagement and learning in large-scale courses can prove challenging, especially when the class is a requirement within a business school's core curriculum where most students taking the class are not majors in the course's subject matter. The course sections typically have 100 or more students each. The non-IS major student population attends this core course because they must, rather than want to, attend which in most cases leads to indifference and disengagement. A primary need and challenge of a required core course are to create a compelling 14-week "Introduction to Information Systems" course that captures this student population's interest in an engaging manner. This paper identifies an innovative approach to create and foster an enhanced learning environment organized around active learning, dynamic content, and a narrative structure. Major changes discussed in the paper are the abandonment of textbooks, the introduction of in-class activities and JavaScript coding, and the establishment of a narrative.

Interest in the study of computer technology in schools (often in the form of Computer Science subjects or coding initiatives) is seen to have undergone two waves of interest, one in the late 1970s/early 1980s and the other more recently since about 2010. Through a historical exploration of the rationales for the study of computer technology in schools in both the first wave and the second wave, this paper aimed to explore the various curriculum ideologies underpinning their justification. In doing so, the paper highlights the chameleon‐like nature of this change agenda in aligning with contemporary trends to advance the study of computer technology on the curriculum. The paper argues that current manifestations of the study of computer technology in schools are at odds with broader curriculum reform goals and international policies and raises questions about students' access to such knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]