An engaging first programming class (CS1) often inspires students' passion for computer science (CS). However, the evidence in the literature suggests that the average CS1 classes are anything but engaging for many students. The performance of CS compared to other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in international…

Background: With the development of computational literacy, there has been a surge in both research and practice application of text-based and block-based modalities within the field of computer programming education. Despite this trend, little work has actually examined how learners engaging in programming process when utilizing these two major…

In a ranking created by using data from multiple data sources, including CareerBuilder, GitHub, Google, Hacker News, the IEEE, Reddit, Stack Overflow, and Twitter, Python was shown to be the top programming language of 2023. Created in 1990, Python has seen a recent uptick in popularity driven primarily by its ability to sustain the use of…

Computational thinking (CT) assessment is crucial for testing the effectiveness of CT skills development. However, the exploration of CT assessment in the context of text-based programming is in its initial stages. The intrinsic relationship between the core skills of text-based programming and the core elements of CT isn't analyzed in depth in…

Mastering SQL programming skills is fundamental in computer science education, and Online Judging Systems (OJS) play a critical role in automatically assessing SQL codes, improving the accuracy and efficiency of evaluations. However, these systems are vulnerable to manipulation by students who can submit "cheating codes" that pass the…

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…

Context: Introductory programming courses often face high dropout and failure rates, a challenge widely addressed in computing education research. Collaborative methods, such as group work and pair programming, have been proposed as potential solutions, as they are believed to enhance students' study motivation. Objective: This article provides a…

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of modality (constructionist mBlock, Scratch, and Python interventions) on six-grade students' computational thinking, programming attitude, and achievement. The pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was used to explore the research questions. The study group consisted of 105…

Learning computer programming can be challenging for primary school students due to its abstract concepts. While teachers seek effective ways to introduce such concepts, the application of learning objects (LOs) can potentially reduce the effort of creating new material from and allows teachers to adapt LOs to students' needs. Although numerous…

Data science programming presents many challenges for programmers entering the field. Roughly, data science programming can be broken up into several activities: data wrangling, analysis, modeling, or visualization. Data wrangling is an important first step that involves cleaning and shaping tabular data--or dataframes--into a form amenable for…

The rise of "big data" within the biological sciences has resulted in an urgent demand for coding skills in the next generation of scientists. To address this issue, several institutions and departments across the country have incorporated coding into their curricula. I describe a coding module developed and deployed in an undergraduate…

This paper systematically explores how Large Language Models (LLMs) generate explanations of code examples of the type used in intro-to-programming courses. As we show, the nature of code explanations generated by LLMs varies considerably based on the wording of the prompt, the target code examples being explained, the programming language, the…

Programming is becoming increasingly common in mathematics degrees as it is a desirable skill for new graduates. However, research shows that its use is mostly restricted to computational or modelling tasks. This paper reports a study on students' perceptions of and difficulties with Lean, an interactive theorem prover introduced as part of a…

Meta-analyses can be compromised by studies' internal biases (e.g., confounding in nonrandomized studies) as well as publication bias. These biases often operate nonadditively: publication bias that favors significant, positive results selects indirectly for studies with more internal bias. We propose sensitivity analyses that address two…

This qualitative study explored secondary-level building administrators' preparedness to supervise and support special education programming. It investigated knowledge gaps, needs, and the role of induction programs. Interviews with twelve administrators were conducted, transcribed, coded, and analyzed through grounded theory methodology. Findings…