Looking for new ways for programming learning

Objectives:

Cupi2 is a project of the Universidad de los Andes whose objective is the search of new ways of facing the problem of teaching programming. The main goals of the project are:

• To provide courseware to all actors involved in a programming teaching/learning environment.
• To support instructors and institutions by means of organizing a learning community to share experiences and educational assets.

To provide a novel student-centered pedagogical approach and a wide set of materials to support students learning.

 

 

Cupi2 is an ambitious project started in 2004, which attempts to offer an integral solution to problems in teaching/learning programming, emphasizing in the students learning experience through active-learning-based courseware that is aligned with a concrete pedagogical model. Generally, the project provides courseware to all actors involved in a programming teaching/learning environment. The project supports instructors and institutions by means of organizing a learning community to share experiences and educational assets. Also, the project provides a novel student-centered pedagogical approach and a wide set of materials to support students learning.

Main results:

The project has shown successful results at our university. Firstly, the number of students who fail computer programming courses has declined in 49%. Secondly, the results of evaluations made by students about their perception of our computer programming courses have increased positively in more than 21%. Furthermore, the students’ average grade in computer programming courses has increased more than 11%. These results show a general improvement in computer programming courses, and they are also reflected in the increase of learners’ satisfaction about programming and the decrease of drop-out rates in our CS courses.