Search Results

'Code quality' and 'code style' are terms that are frequently used interchangeably to describe the 'goodness' of programming code. Our position is that they are not the same, and that treating them as the same causes confusion. Different sets of style ...

Introductory programming courses often emphasize mastering syntax and basic constructs before progressing to more complex and interesting programs. This bottom-up approach can be frustrating for novices, shifting the focus away from problem solving and ...

This paper describes the assessments in a third-year undergraduate Game Programming elective course. Three summative assessments are conducted throughout the semester: an Individual Game Project, a Team Game Project, and a Personal Portfolio. Throughout ...

CG (Computer Graphics) is a popular field of CS (Computer Science), but many students find this topic difficult due to it requiring a large number of skills, such as mathematics, programming, geometric reasoning, and creativity. Over the past few years, ...

Generative AI (GenAI) is currently capable of generating correct code for introductory level programming problems, and its performance is improving. We believe that this capability can be leveraged to improve student motivation, broaden students’ ...

Welcome to the Working Group proceedings of the ACM Global Computing Education Conference (CompEd), held in Hyderabad, India, hosted by IIIT Hyderabad, from 6th December to the 9th December 2023.

As stated in previous Working Group proceedings "the ...

Characterising code quality is a challenge that was addressed by Börstler et al. 's working group in 2017. As emerged from their study, educators, developers and students have different perceptions of the manifold aspects involved, and a major conclusion ...

Providing timely and personalized feedback to large numbers of students is a long-standing challenge in programming courses. Relying on human teaching assistants (TAs) has been extensively studied, revealing a number of potential shortcomings. These ...

Parsons problems provide useful scaffolding for introductory programming students learning to write code. However, generating large numbers of high-quality Parsons problems that appeal to the diverse range of interests in a typical introductory course is ...

Folk-wisdom in software engineering suggests that small functions that adhere to the principle of single-responsibility have several advantages over longer, monolithic functions, including improvement in code comprehension. Despite this widespread view, ...

Large language models (LLMs) are revolutionizing the field of computing education with their powerful code-generating capabilities. Traditional pedagogical practices have focused on code writing tasks, but there is now a shift in importance towards ...

Introductory programming courses often require students to solve many small programming exercises as part of their learning. Researchers have previously suggested that the context used in the problem description for these exercises is likely to impact ...

Teaching large cohorts in upper-level computing courses is challenging, as providing rapid feedback and marking at scale is difficult without significant resources. Many institutions lack funds to employ a large number of skilled markers or such markers ...

Recent studies have showcased the exceptional performance of LLMs (Large Language Models) on assessment questions across various discipline areas. This can be helpful if used to support the learning process, for example by enabling students to quickly ...

It is widely acknowledged that code style is an important aspect of text-based programming. This is because programs written with good style are considered easier to understand and change and so improve the maintainability of the delivered software ...

Worked examples, which illustrate the process for solving a problem step-by-step, are a well-established pedagogical technique that has been widely studied in computing classrooms. However, creating high-quality worked examples is very time-intensive ...

Many software-related courses at tertiary level incorporate group projects in their assessment strategy. Project goals vary according to course learning outcomes, for example, consolidating course content and preparing students for industry by providing ...

Challenges and opportunities faced by computing educators and students adapting to LLMs capable of generating accurate source code from natural-language problem descriptions.

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and specifically generative AI (GenAI) are threatening to fundamentally reshape computing and society. Largely driven by large language models (LLMs), many tools are now able to interpret and generate ...

The growth of digital education has expanded the use of online forums like Piazza. However, their impact on academic achievement is still being determined. This study investigates the relationship between Piazza engagement and academic performance in ...