This paper introduces the LEGO® Database, a large natural dataset that can be used to teach Structured Query Language (SQL) and relational database concepts. This dataset is well-suited for introductory and advanced database assignments and end-of-semester group projects. The data is freely available from Kaggle.com and contains eight tables with…

Project-based learning (PBL) engages students deeply with course concepts and empowers them to drive their own learning through the development of solutions to real-world challenges. By taking ownership of and completing a project that they designed, students develop and demonstrate creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. This…

Continuing to fill the literature gap, this research replicated and expands a prior study of student performance in database normalization in an introductory database course. The data was collected from four different universities, each having different prerequisite courses for their database course. Student performance on a database normalization…

Learning a computer programming language is typically one of the basic requirements of being an information technology (IT) major. While other studies previously investigate computer programming self-efficacy and grit, their relationships between "shallow" and "deep" learning (Miller et al., 1996) have not been thoroughly…

This study explores student perceptions of learning to code by evaluating AI-generated Python code. In an experimental exercise given to students in an introductory Python course at a business university, students wrote their own solutions to a Python program and then compared their solutions with AI-generated code. They evaluated both solutions…

Generative AI has recently gained the ability to generate computer code. This development is bound to affect how computer programming is taught in higher education. We used past programming assignments and solutions for textbook exercises in our introductory programming class to analyze how accurately one of the leading models, ChatGPT, generates…

Keeping students motivated during an introductory computer programming can be a challenging task. Looking at its varied complexities, many students who are introduced to computer programming for the first time can easily become demotivated. This work looks at the value-expectancy motivational model of student learning and presents our experiences…

This paper reviews the evolution of a senior level, live-client project development capstone class in the Analytics and Information Systems department of an AACSB accredited College of Business. The paper traces changes in methodologies and technologies leading to the current Scrum based approach, using ASP.NET Model-View-Controller, MVC, as the…

Concept mapping, a tool originally developed to facilitate student learning by organizing and visualizing key concepts and their relationships, can also be used to represent the composition of the knowledge contained in a course. In this paper, the authors describe a specific application of concept mapping to help instructors and students…

Undergraduate research can stimulate students' interest, especially in STEM disciplines. This research can be formally offered in different formats such as Undergraduate Research Experiences (UREs). One of these is Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), which are offered as an integral part of scheduled courses. CUREs have been…

Instruction in an introductory programming course is typically designed to introduce new concepts and to review and integrate the more recent concepts with what was previously learned in the course. Therefore, most exam questions in an introductory programming course require students to write lines of code that contain syntactic elements…

Learning computer programming is typically difficult for newcomers. Demotivation and learned helplessness have received much attention. Besides the subject's intricacy, low in-class participation has been associated with poor student achievement. This paper presents a follow-up, stage 2 study on the novel instructional technique, Student-Driven…

Hollywood screenwriters worry about Artificial Intelligence (AI) replacements taking over their jobs. Famous museums litigate to protect their art from AI infringement. A major retailer scraps a machine-learning based recruitment program that was biased against women. These are just a few examples of how AI is affecting the world of work,…

Students today are often assumed to be digitally literate and prepared for college, but that is not always the case. Introductory technology courses at the college level provide students with the technology and digital skills necessary for them to succeed in college. This study, conducted at a small New England "business school" that…

Learning how to become a self-regulated learner could benefit students in introductory undergraduate courses, such as computer programming. This study explores the perceived value of instructional and skill-building activities and students' self-efficacy to learn and apply programming skills in an introductory computer programming course. The…