Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface

Claudio Alvarez; Luis A. Rojas; Juan de Dios Valenzuela

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-05064-0_1

Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface

Claudio Alvarez^*, Luis A. Rojas, Juan de Dios Valenzuela

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Computer programming skills are essential for a variety of disciplines in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To support learning of programming in personalized ways, Programming Tutors (PTs) have been utilized in higher education contexts for decades. However, implementation of PTs with mobile devices has remained unexplored from both design and adoption standpoints. In this research, we designed, implemented, and trialled a PT based on Telegram Messenger. The tutor was introduced to a cohort of engineering freshmen (N= 227 ) in a computer programming course; however, it was introduced as an optional learning tool with no extrinsic incentives for fostering its adoption. Under these conditions, students’ activity with the tool was monitored for 11 days. A total of 99 students (44.7 % ) chose to use the tutor and did so at least once. In average, students who used the tutor solved 9.2 tasks out of a maximum of 18 (SD= 5.49 ). The use of notifications was found highly influential to motivate tutor use: within 3 days of a student receiving a reminder notification, 80.6% of responses to tasks were registered. The tutor scored a mean of 73.8 (SD= 13.81 ) in the Systems Usability Scale. Students suggestions for improvement emphasized the need for more elaborate feedback after submitting their responses to problems and leveling of task difficulty. Regarding the tutor’s best features, mobility and ease of use of the interface were found the most prominent.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface
Subtitle of host publication	Applications in Education and Commerce - 14th International Conference, SCSM 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings
Editors	Gabriele Meiselwitz
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	3-20
Number of pages	18
ISBN (Print)	9783031050633
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05064-0_1
State	Published - 2022
Event	14th International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media, SCSM 2022 Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022 - Virtual, Online Duration: 26 Jun 2022 → 1 Jul 2022

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	13316 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	14th International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media, SCSM 2022 Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022
City	Virtual, Online
Period	26/06/22 → 1/07/22

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Keywords

Instant messaging
Programming tutor
User study

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-05064-0_1

Cite this

Alvarez, C., Rojas, L. A., & de Dios Valenzuela, J. (2022). Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface. In G. Meiselwitz (Ed.), Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface: Applications in Education and Commerce - 14th International Conference, SCSM 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings (pp. 3-20). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13316 LNCS). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05064-0_1

Alvarez, Claudio ; Rojas, Luis A. ; de Dios Valenzuela, Juan. / Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface. Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface: Applications in Education and Commerce - 14th International Conference, SCSM 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings. editor / Gabriele Meiselwitz. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2022. pp. 3-20 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

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abstract = "Computer programming skills are essential for a variety of disciplines in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). To support learning of programming in personalized ways, Programming Tutors (PTs) have been utilized in higher education contexts for decades. However, implementation of PTs with mobile devices has remained unexplored from both design and adoption standpoints. In this research, we designed, implemented, and trialled a PT based on Telegram Messenger. The tutor was introduced to a cohort of engineering freshmen (N= 227 ) in a computer programming course; however, it was introduced as an optional learning tool with no extrinsic incentives for fostering its adoption. Under these conditions, students{\textquoteright} activity with the tool was monitored for 11 days. A total of 99 students (44.7 % ) chose to use the tutor and did so at least once. In average, students who used the tutor solved 9.2 tasks out of a maximum of 18 (SD= 5.49 ). The use of notifications was found highly influential to motivate tutor use: within 3 days of a student receiving a reminder notification, 80.6% of responses to tasks were registered. The tutor scored a mean of 73.8 (SD= 13.81 ) in the Systems Usability Scale. Students suggestions for improvement emphasized the need for more elaborate feedback after submitting their responses to problems and leveling of task difficulty. Regarding the tutor{\textquoteright}s best features, mobility and ease of use of the interface were found the most prominent.",

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Alvarez, C, Rojas, LA & de Dios Valenzuela, J 2022, Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface. in G Meiselwitz (ed.), Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface: Applications in Education and Commerce - 14th International Conference, SCSM 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 13316 LNCS, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, pp. 3-20, 14th International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media, SCSM 2022 Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Virtual, Online, 26/06/22. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05064-0_1

Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface. / Alvarez, Claudio; Rojas, Luis A.; de Dios Valenzuela, Juan.
Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface: Applications in Education and Commerce - 14th International Conference, SCSM 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings. ed. / Gabriele Meiselwitz. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2022. p. 3-20 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 13316 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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Alvarez C, Rojas LA, de Dios Valenzuela J. Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface. In Meiselwitz G, editor, Design and Evaluation of a Programming Tutor Based on an Instant Messaging Interface: Applications in Education and Commerce - 14th International Conference, SCSM 2022, Held as Part of the 24th HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, Proceedings. Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2022. p. 3-20. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-05064-0_1