Teaching GUI-Programming Concepts to Prospective K12 ICT Teachers: MIT App Inventor as an Alternative to Text-Based Languages
Can Mıhcı, Nesrin Ozdener Donmez · International Journal of Research in Education and Science · 2017
The purpose of this research is to investigatethe short and long-term effects of usingGUI-oriented visual Blocks-Based Programming languages (BBL) as a 2ndtier tool when teaching programming to prospective K12 ICT teachers. In amixed-method approach, the effect on academicsuccess as well as the impact onprofessional opinions and preferences have been gathered for drawing deeperconclusions. Conclusively, it was understood that visual BBL increased successfor students who were previously having a hard time dealing with text-basedprogramming. However, students that were already accustomed to text-based programminghave shown failure adapting to the BBL. This has been interpreted as a failure of previous programming courses in termsof enabling learning transfer. Additionally, it has been understood thatemploying the BBL has not been entirely effective in causing prospective ICTteachers to think that programming is a subject suitable for a considerablyyounger target audience.