Adopting Exploratory + Collaborative Learning in an Adaptive CSCL Environment for Introductory Programming

The work, presented in this paper, examines and discusses issues concerning the adoption of the ECLiP (Exploratory + Collaborative Learning in Programming) framework in the SCALE (Supporting Collaboration and Adaptation in a Learning Environment) environment in order to support and enhance learning in Introductory Programming courses. ECLiP provides guidelines for the design of an integrated set of learning activities, in the context of any subject matter, comprising a three-step process Acquiring knowledge, Constructing knowledge by Exploring+Collaborating, and Applying-Refining Knowledge. SCALE is a web-based adaptive collaborative environment, which enables students to work on collaborative learning activities concerning various subject matters of different orientation, guides and helps them through intelligent agents, supports alternative models of collaboration between the group members, and facilitates the collaboration/communication by adapting the “communication-scaffolding” tools (i.e. sentence openers and communication acts) according to the learning outcomes addressed by the learning activity and/or the model of collaboration followed by the group members. SCALE supports the elaboration and the accomplishment of the “programming” learning activities, designed on the basis of the ECLiP framework, by enabling the utilization of the appropriate educational tools, activating the assessment and the feedback modules, guiding the students during the activity elaboration, enabling the students’ collaboration in groups acting equivalently or according to specific roles and facilitating the students’ communication.