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WBIS For Computer Programming

This document discusses the development of a Web-Based Instructional System (WBIS) for teaching computer programming. It aims to provide an interactive online environment for teaching programming that eliminates the need for students to install compilers or development environments locally. The system incorporates compilers and development tools to allow students to learn, develop, and test programs online through an integrated development environment. The document also discusses challenges in teaching programming and the potential benefits of using a WBIS approach, such as facilitating learner interactions and practical activities through a networked online environment.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
44 views7 pages

WBIS For Computer Programming

This document discusses the development of a Web-Based Instructional System (WBIS) for teaching computer programming. It aims to provide an interactive online environment for teaching programming that eliminates the need for students to install compilers or development environments locally. The system incorporates compilers and development tools to allow students to learn, develop, and test programs online through an integrated development environment. The document also discusses challenges in teaching programming and the potential benefits of using a WBIS approach, such as facilitating learner interactions and practical activities through a networked online environment.

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Nisrin Adelyna
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© © All Rights Reserved
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WBIS for Computer Programming

Abdul Wahid1, K. Mustafa2, R. A. Khan3


1
(Asstt. Prof., AKGEC, Ghaziabad, India), 2(Head, DCS, JMI, Delhi, India), 3
(Head, IT,
BBAU, Lucknow, India

difficulties are associated more with the particular


Abstract: characteristics of each paradigm.
The purpose of this study is to describe in detail
the development status of the innovative Web 2.0 WBIS
Based Instructional System for Computer Web-Based Instruction (WBI) is variously defined
Programming (WBISCP), which provides an as[11,9] “...a hypermedia-based instructional
interactive, Web Based Instruction- Programming program, which utilizes the attributes and
Instructional System (WBI-PIS) for teaching. This resources of the World Wide Web to create a
system is designed using several Instructional meaningful learning environment where learning
Design (ID) factors and ingredients. WBI-PIS is fostered and supported.”
allow students to program at the early stages of
their course without the need to familiarize them WBI is also used to refer to [10][12] the
with a program development environment. Most application of a repertoire of cognitively oriented
importantly, it eliminates all the difficulties instructional strategies within a constructivist and
associated with installing and running any collaborative learning environment, utilizing the
compiler. This system incorporates the compiler attributes and resources of the World Wide Web;
and other CASE tools of desired programming
language. Using WBI-PIS, students can learn and Web-Based Instruction, also called Web-Based
develop their programs interactively. This system Training, is defined as ‘Individualized instruction
provides a learning environment, which facilitate delivered over public or private computer
online compiling, executing, and debugging or networks and displayed by a Web browser’ WBT
testing with Integrated Development Environment. is not downloaded CBT, but rather on-demand
training stored in a server and accessed across a
Keywords: WBIS, Computer Programming, E- network. Web-based training can be updated very
learning, Instructional Design. rapidly, and access to training controlled by the
training provider. Though the above definitions are
1.0 Introduction not identical, there is a common theme, which is
The demand for competent programmers has risen that WBI takes advantage of the Internet and
dramatically in the last several years [16]. The World Wide Web to deliver instructional content.
‘millennium problem’ has emphasized the
importance of ensuring that there are IT specialists The literature supports the assertion that WBI is a
with good programming skills. The high demand growing trend [28]. The literature also indicates
for computing studies graduates in the job market that a critical factor to the success of WBI is the
both nationally and worldwide, together with the incorporation of usability design into the
wider access to higher education generally has development process. The design issues gleaned
prompted many students to enter into the field of from the literature review include: transfer of
computer science. Given the diverse educational existing course material, as it is to WBI, without
backgrounds and skills of such students together considering using the medium’s capabilities, such
with the ever-increasing number of them in our as graphics or communications. The Web-based
classrooms, the role of computer science educators instruction will capitalize [29, 30] on the campus
in teaching good programming skills is becoming network infrastructure for group interaction via the
ever more important. groupware, Microsoft Exchange.
An introduction to programming consists of a The use of web based instructional system (WBIS)
difficult mental task for students and for this in the delivery of education and training has major
reason intense research activity [4,5,6] has been implications for lecturers, learners and institutions
carried out, which aims to explore the relevant [17]. Whilst there is potential for major benefits
problems. These research studies show that often for all concerned, it also continues to set a
novices face difficulties, which can be independent challenge for providers to develop new strategies
of the programming paradigm. Whereas, other for teaching and learning and raises fundamental
questions about the learning process. A further becomes very necessary to find the key barriers in
important consideration is the fact that the growth learning programming [26]. We consider the
of WBISs in education is a global phenomenon current technology is advanced enough to improve
[1][2][3] and this creates a competitive market for the service and increase the efficiency of teaching
the provision of ‘borderless higher education’. computer programming at a distance. The point is
how to make good uses of technology to improve
Web-based courses [32] have increasingly been the teaching quality.
developed many academic institutions,
organizations, and companies worldwide due to The main characteristics of distance education are
their benefits for both learners and educators. that both teaching and learning processes are
Web-based learning support environment for asynchronous and distributed, and the learners are
global positioning system education. WBI heterogeneous. The structure of our electronically
environment is also important to effectively networked environment closely matches these
fascilitate learner interactions. In this environment characteristics [26]. By taking advantage of the
, how easily learners can focus on learning capabilities of the Internet as much as possible, the
materials without having to make an effort to teaching in an asynchronous learning environment
figure out how to access them.[32] can surely be improved in terms of both learning
effectiveness and cost effectiveness.
WBIS or E-learning has yet to be widely accepted
as the term to describe ‘technologies’ learning in Teaching computer programming has never been a
all its forms. Authors agreeing a single definition straightforward process. Programming is a skill
for WBIS has yet to be found [7][8]. A range of that requires practice. Therefore, practical
terms such as tele-learning [9], telematics , online activities play an important role in the teaching
learning, distributed learning [10], flexible and learning process. In a traditional university
learning [5], may all point to a similarly conceived education setting where students can often meet
educational experience. E-Learning is emerging as their fellow students and instructors, the teaching
the term referring to the learning technology that process is significantly improved by conducting
takes advantage of connectivity learning delivered practical workshops in which teachers are present
or received mainly through the internet, intranets, to serve the learning needs.
extranets or the web. Writing about corporate
WBIS, forms a definition based on three
4.0 WBI and Programming
fundamental criteria[8] Programming is a challenging task, and one, which
involves many skills. [19] It is now generally
(a) WBIS is networked, capable of instant accepted that learners need to acquire and use
updating, storage/retrieval, distribution and sharing three interrelated types of knowledge of
of instruction and information. programming. i.e. syntactic, conceptual and
(b) It is delivered to the end-user via a computer – strategic.
using standard internet technology. Syntactic knowledge is about specific facts about a
(c) It focuses on the broadest view of learning – programming language, and its rules for use.
learning solutions that go beyond the traditional Learners need to acquire this technical knowledge
paradigm of training. in order to write programs, which compile,
although at this stage they are unable to design and
3.0 Teaching Computer develop programs, which solve problems.
Programming Conceptual knowledge concerns constructs and
A fundamental component of computer science principles of computer programming and for these
curriculum,[31] computer programming is a learners need to develop mental models of the
mandatory unit in computing course. It is one of system, and the semantics of the program actions.
the most feared and hated units by many novice
computing students who having failed or Strategic knowledge concerns general problem-
performed poorly in a programming units. solving skills which are programming specific, and
with syntactic, conceptual and strategic knowledge
Many computer science graduates have not learners are able to solve novel programming
considered programming as an easy task. It is problems. It is strategic knowledge that is needed
therefore necessary to find ways to increase for the recognition and decomposition of a
interest and motivate the learners in learning problem, as well as for testing and debugging
computer programming. In order to achieve this it
errors, as well as designing the phases of
programming.
]The main problem [24 that novice programmers
have when programming computers is the gap exercise. That system enhances and improves the
between the representations the brain uses when service of teaching computer programming using
thinking about a problem and the representations a WBIS anytime; anywhere [27] is proposed. It also
computer will accept. [22] Argues that there are allows instructors to effectively supervise and
only two ways to bridge that gap: one, move the monitor the learning progress of students.
user closer to the system; two, move the system
closer to the user. The learning and teaching of 5.0 WBISCP The framework
programming is not, naturally, isolated from An integrated and prescriptive framework Web
learning and teaching more generally, and any based Instructional System for Computer
discussion thus needs to take account of this. We Programming (WBISCP) is hereby proposed. This
draw attention on WBI approaches to teaching framework having essential and desirable features
programming and then describe how support might of teaching computer programming using WBI.
aid learners in the learning of programming [15]. WBISCP has been attempted to be highly
implementable and prescriptive in nature. It has
In this study how can be applied WBI to teach been structured into a hierarchical description
computer programming, how to write the code, including premises, generic guideline,
debugging, testing, compiling etc. Another development process etc. to be followed in order
component of the study is ID(Instructional Design) as follows.
which contain three major phases of analysis,
strategy development and evaluation. The system
will also enable the automatic collection of data
about student’s computer programming process,
assist in the online marking student programming

Figure 1.1: WBISCP - The Framework


5.1 Premises Review followed by fourth phase validation and
The following premises have been considered when finalization. An attempt has been made to
the proposed framework is being used to design: symbolically represent the spirit of designing a
system and make the framework prescriptive in
• An integrated approach to make a web nature followed by a brief description of each of the
based programming system is feasible and phases and steps.
would prove to be optimal.
• A common set of features for the desired 5.3.1 Conceptualization
WBISCP may be used to form the basis for
The basic need for the development of WBISCP and
its development.
its feasibility has been illustrated as a foremost task
• The resource optimization depends on the of this phase. A strong theoretical basis has been
early use of WBISCP and uncovering of identified and discussed as important activity of the
errors. instructional system development. Thereafter the
• The approach to measurement should be desired and essential features are listed in order to
more applicable to identifying interest characterize the system.
from traditional programming teaching to Most of the instructional systems, available, may
WBISCP. normally be used for teaching non-programming
courses. However, the availability of any web based
instructional system, which takes care of teaching
programming, could not be explored. Thus, there
5.2 Generic Guidelines appears to be a need for developing a Web Based
The guidelines before following the process to Instructional System for Computer Programming
develop the WBISCP may be listed as follows: WBISCP . It is strongly felt that such an activity
• Assure compliance/adherence to collect a would prove more productive, constructive and
common set of essential and desirable significant.
features.
The need of such type of system is necessary after
• Identify and persist preferably with all the
seeking various researches conclusions and further
attributes of WBIS.
problems, that’s why the system is feasible. In
• Identify and persist with all the factors theoretical basis we can prove and develop WBI-
affecting specifically the user to learn PIS. During this phase a basic set of ideas need to
programming. be developed. In the system the researcher
• Correlate the identified attributes with incorporates following attributes:
WBIS and accordingly design the system. • Computer programming;
• Assure to control somehow all the • Learners ability;
extraneous and intervening factors that
may affect WBISCP based prediction. • Compilation and run online;
• Test and debugging;
• User friendly environment;
5.3 WBI-PIS
The development process is comprised of four
5.3.2 WBI-PIS Design and Development
phases(combining valuation & finalization)
The foremost task of any comprehensive problem
together with prescriptive steps for each and has
solving ctivity is design requirement. That is the
been depicted pictorially in Figure 1.1. Such a
initial brainstorming activity envisaged and
framework has been proposed on the basis of
undertaken to understand the problem, jot down
integral and basic components for designing good
ideas for solution and to realize problem-related
quality WBIS. The first phase starts with the
facts. This in turn may be precisely stated and
Conceptualisation of Design and development for
represented in meaning format. Importance of this
the desired system is treated as an important task.
phase lies in the fact it serves as the basis for
Designing and development has been putforth as a
evolving initial set of specifications in terms of
second phase. The third phase termed as Expert
instructional design to teach computer (d) Pedagogy Factors: Next step
programming in subsequent phases of development. ‘Pedagogical factors’ deals with the specification of
A set of several instructional designing factors the theoretical viability for system development.
including programming pedagogy and web
technology to develop programming contents. That Pedagogic Strategies can be defined at following
has been prescribed in the special context of levels:
development of IDE system, to implement this
phase.
1. General instructional designs
(a) Integrated Development 2. Designs applied to a teaching/learning unit
Environment (IDE): Integrated development 3. Pedagogic methods that are part of a
environment (IDE) is a software application that wider
provides comprehensive facilities to computer
programmers for programming development. An
IDE normally consists of a source code editor, a
(f) Instructional Ingredients: The next
step ‘Instructional Ingredients’ refers to
compiler and/or interpreter, build automation tools,
precisely knowing what aim and, with respect
and (usually) a debugger. Sometimes a version
to cognitive and learning style appearance,
control system and various tools are integrated to
must be available in the proposed system and
simplify the construction of a GUI. In this phase
the specification of features, which may be
IDE provides the flexibility to run and execute the
desired and add to the value of system under
program
development. Following are enlisted the
(b) Programming pedagogy & Contents instructional ingredients [2]
Can we turn novices into experts in a four year
undergraduate program? If so, how? If not, what is • Clear aims and objectives
the best we can do? While every teacher has his/her • Previous knowledge testing
own opinion on these questions, psychological • Prerequisite preparations
studies over the last twenty years have started to • Emphasis on process of learning
furnish scientific answers. Unfortunately, little of • Intrinsic motivation
these results have been incorporated into curricula • Positive reinforcement
or textbooks. This pedagogy is an overview of • Cognitive activation and apprentice
some of the more important facts about learning • Learning style
interactively concerning computer programming • Learner modelling
contents. The programming pedagogy delivers the • Highly qualitative and frequent
perquisite and learning. interactions
• Immediately provide feedbacks
• Diagnostic and informative
(c) Technological Factors: Apart from • Content validation
Software Hardware requirement in the • Content evaluation
technology factor, may include the following • Content selection
interactive factors also.

• Simplify navigation 5.3.3 Expert Review/Implementation


This is the formal phase with the ability for free-to-
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• Include indexes, table of contents, and adequate enough exposure has been identified and
search capabilities then turn back for better review, in the light of all the
previous phases. Reviews have been carried out at
• Clearly identify content with appropriate any of the stages in the instructional system
headings and titles development process.

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