Contextual Learning in CS1: Integrating a Biology Project to Reinforce Core Programming Concepts
Meiying Qin, Jade Atallah, Jonatan Schroeder, Larry Yueli Zhang, Hovig Kouyoumdjian · 2025
In an undergraduate CS1 course, we designed two projects to help students apply their learning: one in biology and one in chemistry. In this paper, we focus on the biology project, in which students identify and visualize gene mutations using real BRCA1 gene data. The projects received positive feedback, helping students see how coding applies to real-world problems in different scientific fields, understand real-world limitations, and reinforce their programming and problem-solving skills. This multi-context approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of programming concepts and their applications.