Student Perception of Educational Best Practice Utilization in Introductory Computer Science Classes

Lecture-based approaches to teaching introductory computer science classes have been proven to not be as effective as many other pedagogical approaches. Active learning, however, has been shown to be very effective but often is difficult to scale and takes professors a substantial amount of time to prepare for each class. This study focuses on five active learning techniques that can all be integrated into any lecture-style classroom in order to improve student engagement, increase inclusivity and community, and improve long-term learning. The techniques include quizzes, active coding, peer learning, relatable examples, and interactive activities. Other changes in activity during lecture that are not explicitly one of the five mentioned above are also tracked. This study monitors two introductory programming classes taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to determine how commonly these active learning techniques are currently being included in lecture-style classrooms. To monitor classroom activity, the students used a web tool that assists in determining which active learning techniques the students perceive to be most helpful and in providing professors with better insight on how to improve their lectures. The results were ultimately inconclusive.Bachelor of Art