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> Funny enough, this is my PhD research. Really, you type in codes/programs from paper printouts for your PhD? I knew that some programming communities in acad

> Funny enough, this is my PhD research. Really, you type in codes/programs from paper printouts for your PhD? I knew that some programming communities in academia still clung to old habits and way of doing things, but not like that!

tsumnia 8y ago
No, I developed a platform that converts code formatted from TinyMCE into a PNG which is then an exercise for students. Students in turn retype out the program. The activity requires zero high level thinking, but presents a worked example of a CS concept. Since novices struggle initially with syntax errors, the exercise serves as a scaffolded process of practicing typing syntax without also trying to problem solve [1]. The hope and thought process is that the exercises get students comfortable with writing syntax without problem-solving so that when they DO problem-solve, they can rely on muscle memory. The platform is currently deployed at NC State as an optional exercise for some of the classes and while there is no explicit "those students did better" (yet I hope...), I do have promising information like regular completers earn high final grades in the course and even potentially as an intervention tool for lower performing students. In that context, students that regularly performed lower on midterms scored higher on the final and earned a higher final grade than students that just "looked at the exercises" (it is optional). My current hypothesis on that data is that poor performing exercise completer's realized they needed additional practice, which helped boost their skills. My comment history goes in better detail, but I describe it akin to drilling in other technical skills like cooking, music, dance, martial arts, etc. I think this as an activity is one of the methods that causes much of the "prior experience" seen in some higher performing CS students. They learned about syntax errors and tweaking code while making these BASIC games, or in modern contexts like modding Minecraft. Moving forward, my research then goes into optimal exercise sequencing for learning CS. If you are compiling more syntax errors during a traditional coding exercise, maybe do a few typing exercises or output prediction exercises before trying to code. [1] https://research.csc.ncsu.edu/arglab/projects/exercises.html https://research.csc.ncsu.edu/arglab/projects/exercises.html
- tsumnia 8y ago
  I will add though that I do attempt to retype code I find on StackOverflow rather than rely on copy pasting. I'm a PhD student that can't extract a tar file or correctly set up an Apache server configuration because I work primarily on a Windows machine and it's "not needed" for my career path. However, this lack of ability annoys me, so either I continue to rely on SO and having the Internet to save me, or I learn to do it myself.

tsumnia 8y ago

No, I developed a platform that converts code formatted from TinyMCE into a PNG which is then an exercise for students. Students in turn retype out the program. The activity requires zero high level thinking, but presents a worked example of a CS concept. Since novices struggle initially with syntax errors, the exercise serves as a scaffolded process of practicing typing syntax without also trying to problem solve [1]. The hope and thought process is that the exercises get students comfortable with writing syntax without problem-solving so that when they DO problem-solve, they can rely on muscle memory. The platform is currently deployed at NC State as an optional exercise for some of the classes and while there is no explicit "those students did better" (yet I hope...), I do have promising information like regular completers earn high final grades in the course and even potentially as an intervention tool for lower performing students. In that context, students that regularly performed lower on midterms scored higher on the final and earned a higher final grade than students that just "looked at the exercises" (it is optional). My current hypothesis on that data is that poor performing exercise completer's realized they needed additional practice, which helped boost their skills. My comment history goes in better detail, but I describe it akin to drilling in other technical skills like cooking, music, dance, martial arts, etc. I think this as an activity is one of the methods that causes much of the "prior experience" seen in some higher performing CS students. They learned about syntax errors and tweaking code while making these BASIC games, or in modern contexts like modding Minecraft. Moving forward, my research then goes into optimal exercise sequencing for learning CS. If you are compiling more syntax errors during a traditional coding exercise, maybe do a few typing exercises or output prediction exercises before trying to code. [1] https://research.csc.ncsu.edu/arglab/projects/exercises.html https://research.csc.ncsu.edu/arglab/projects/exercises.html

tsumnia 8y ago
I will add though that I do attempt to retype code I find on StackOverflow rather than rely on copy pasting. I'm a PhD student that can't extract a tar file or correctly set up an Apache server configuration because I work primarily on a Windows machine and it's "not needed" for my career path. However, this lack of ability annoys me, so either I continue to rely on SO and having the Internet to save me, or I learn to do it myself.