Title: A cooperative lecture style and student learning in an introductory computer programming course

Authors: Bih-Ru Lea, Christopher Brown

Addresses: Department of Business and Information Technology, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA. ' Department of Computer Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA

Abstract: This study examines the impact that a cooperative lecture technique and demographic factors have on student learning in a computer programming class, a college course that students have no or very limited intrinsic knowledge about and found that a cooperative lecture style did not improve learning performance and might deter students from positive learning experiences. This may be due to the time constraints that students faced when doing group work or from the compound confusion when students with limited subject knowledge worked towards an unknown goal. The results also suggested that students| class attendance provided the predictability of performance, while their academic experience negatively influenced group effectiveness.

Keywords: cooperative learning; computer programming instruction; classroom teams; learning outcome; cooperative lecturing; lecturing styles; student attendance; class attendance; group effectiveness; learning performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIL.2009.022813

International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 2009 Vol.6 No.2, pp.192 - 216

Published online: 27 Jan 2009 *

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