Understanding the impact of strategic team formation in early programming education

摘要

This evidence based research looks at the impact of a team-based instruction on learning to program in a first year engineering course designed under the Bauhaus studio model. Each team is formulated with a “more knowledgeable other” [1], or for this paper the “ringer” based on selfreported prior learning. The ringer is intended to support the team through early programming challenges. In addition to the professor and teaching assistants, having a peer mentor can yield higher satisfaction and confidence in learners [2]. Our analysis evaluates learning outcomes as student progress through the term, comparing performance based on the performance and prior knowledge reported by the ringer. The major research questions investigate the role of the ringer in the success of the team, as well looking to see if teams that include a low performing student have any common characteristics. Findings include data from 2013, 2014, and 2015 with trends apparent in each of the years across major topics. This study shows that the formulation of teams around a carefully selected more knowledgeable other can improve the learning of the entire team. In general, ringer score correlates to an increase in the rest of the team’s average. The ringer score only supports learning to a certain degree where if the gap in score is too larger compared to the rest of the team, lower performing members can suffer. In general the formation of teams using prior programming experience seems to do no harm and even possibly improve learning outcomes, and the data may also suggest additional improvements on the use of teams.