Content

Content/Process
‍This course is a prerequisite of two other programming courses therefore there is need for a good base on the introductory one. The content development is based on considerations that I have modelled questions for and come up as solutions to those questions. These have been looked at as follows:

Question: Why create the content and where is the content going to be used?

Answer: All the efforts put forward to produce the content are to improve on the learning delivery to students as well as to assist students with differing levels of understanding. Each student can be able to self-pace their studies as well as iterate concepts that are difficult to understand to them many times until they get a clearer picture of each aspect. Through using different platforms for delivering this content for example adding a Facebook link to the activity and have students do discussions on a particular program, this content will help students to share information as well as help each other attain the set objectives. This will also enable the university to be visible in the market as we offer new ways of teaching.

Question: What type of Content is going to be beneficial?

Answer: A visual way of delivering instruction would match the requirements more closely. Screencasts of practical demonstrations which students can use to guide them in making programs can be used to complement the notes they would have done in class. This content will assist students do more practical outside lecture hours as it works as a guide that they can follow through on their own and develop better programming skills. Through more practice students can be able to perfect their skills. Step by step instruction and demonstration from the easiest tasks to the more complicated ones allows students to learn gradually as they scaffold themselves through their zone of proximal development. After the students engage with the content they are given exercises that they can do from scratch or tasked to do the same programs without the screencast to test if they have grasped the concepts.

Question: How are you going to ensure that you have realized your objectives?

 Answer: Being able to code a program in a the given exercise will be used as an indication of attainment of objectives or mastering the content provided. Through the social forum, students get to discuss ways of doing the tasks and contribute to the platform thereby building up on knowledge. From the previous groups taught in this course, students have difficulties in coming up with a piece of code to solve a particular problem using the basic information provided. For example for a sub-topic (Control Structures), students fail to choose the correct control structure to use for a particular problem defined. If for example three different control structures can be used for a solution but one has the optimum results, a student may not be able to identify the most appropriate control structure to use. In exam situations this poses a problem in that at times students do not get to finish the exam because they would have chosen very long methods which seem easier to implement but may consume more time. Having the forum discussions will help students get help on the difficult parts of the topic being discussed and the screen-casts will aid in teaching the underlying concepts to a particular topic.