Developing subgoal labels for imperative programming to improve student learning outcomes
Adrienne Decker, Lauren Elizabeth Margulieux, Briana B. Morrison · 2019
This NSF IUSE project incorporates instructional materials and techniques into introductory programming identified through educational psychology research as effective ways to improve student learning and retention. The research team has developed worked examples of problems that incorporate subgoal labels, which are explanations that describe the function of steps in the problem solution to the learner and highlight the problem solving process. Using subgoal labels within worked examples, which has been shown effective in other STEM fields, is intended to break down problem solving procedures into pieces that are small enough for novices to grasp. Experts, including instructors, teaching introductory level courses are often unable to explain the subgoal-level processes that they use in problem solving because they have automated much of the problem solving processes after many years of practice. This intervention had been tested in programming for a few hours of instruction and found effective. The current project expands upon that work.