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ABSTRACT
Academics teaching software development courses are experimenting with teaching methods aiming to improve students' learning experience and learning outcomes. Since Agile software development is gaining popularity in industry due to positive effects on managing projects, academics implement similar Agile approaches in student-centered learning environments. In this paper, we discuss teaching introductory programming based on Scrum. Our learning environment, supported by the Doubtfire learning management system, fosters perceived autonomy and perceived competence by providing tools and opportunities for self-regulated learners to adjust their learning strategies. Evaluation of the learning environment revealed that students want to be in control of their learning.
Keywords: Agile, Scrum, Self-regulated learning, Introductory programming, Programming
1.INTRODUCTION
Knowledge of programming concepts is perceived as being important for information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) courses as it facilitates development of problem solving and reasoning skills, as well as provides a foundation for learning other subjects in IS and IT. There is anecdotal evidence that introductory programming subjects are often the reason for high dropout rates and high failure rates. So far, there have only been two formal studies on the failure rates in programming. According to Bennedsen and Caspersen (2007), failure rates are on average around 30%; however, they indicate that the study was limited by the low number of respondents and data coming mainly from U.S.-based institutions. The same levels of failure were reported by the second study conducted by Watson and Li (2014). The authors of this paper found similar results in introductory programming subjects in IS courses. Therefore, it is not surprising that the research literature widely suggests that introductory programming is among the most difficult subjects for students and explores reasons behind these difficulties (Gomes and Mendes, 2007; Jenkins, 2002; Ma et al., 2011). Interestingly, Watson and Li (2014) came to the conclusion that the choice of the first programming language did not have an effect on pass rates. Thus, the investigation of issues affecting pass/failure rates in introductory programming continues.
In many institutions, introductory programming is taught in a traditional way with lectures, labs, and assessments containing lab exercises, assignments, and a final exam. According to Bennedsen and Caspersen (2007), in many colleges and universities, the final grade in the first-year programming course is affected by...