ERIC Number: EJ1101099
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2165-3151
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Available Date: N/A
"Hour of Code": Can It Change Students' Attitudes toward Programming?
Du, Jie; Wimmer, Hayden; Rada, Roy
Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, v15 p52-73 2016
The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science organized by Code.org, a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science. This study investigated the impact of the Hour of Code on students' attitudes towards computer programming and their knowledge of programming. A sample of undergraduate students from two universities was selected to participate. Participants completed an Hour of Code tutorial as part of an undergraduate course. An electronic questionnaire was implemented in a pre-survey and post-survey format to gauge the change in student attitudes toward programming and their programming ability. The findings indicated the positive impact of the Hour of Code tutorial on students' attitude toward programming. However, the students' programming skills did not significantly change. The authors suggest that a deeper alignment of marketing, teaching, and content would help sustain the type of initiative exemplified by the Hour of Code.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Computer Science Education, Programming, Introductory Courses, Computer Attitudes, Attitude Change, Knowledge Level, Questionnaires, Student Surveys, Pretests Posttests, Student Attitudes, Skill Development, Alignment (Education), Tutorial Programs, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, College Freshmen, Statistical Analysis, Coding, Likert Scales
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A