The Effects of a Web-Supported and Well-Structured Problem- Based Method on Achievements of Learners

Different tools and methods have been proposed to enhance teaching computer programming (CP). One of them is the traditional teacher-directed instruction, which may be preferred by the majority of CP teachers or learners. However, learning CP remains difficult, especially for beginners. While Problem-Based Learning aims the self-direction and collaboration in learning, it is also believed to have improved CP skills. However, there may be some obstacles. Even the possibility of a change in teaching method may be frustrating for participants, let alone complete restructuring of a course or curriculum. Therefore, this paper summarizes the results of an empirical study on teaching CP through a blended method. The research purpose was to explore how a web-supported and well-structured problem-based method would affect the academic achievements of CP learners. The 433 freshman undergraduate students participated in the study and took the “Introduction to Computer Programming with C” course. They were randomly assigned to either of the experimental groups: web supported & well-structured problem based or web supported only. The Group-1’s instruction was designed according to the “Instructional Design Model for Well-Structured Problems”. A web-based tool supported the instruction not only by providing the instructional materials, but also by presenting the worked examples, conceptual diagrams and practice problems. The Group-2’s instructional activities were similar to a traditional CP course, which directed by a teacher aligned with the contents. The web-based tool posted only the course’s materials of the Group-2. As a result, we found a statistically significant difference between the study groups according to the academic achievement tests.