<>ROLEP<>

<>Research on Learning Programming

ROLEP (Research on Learning Programming) is a research group at Laboratory of Information Processing Science at Helsinki University of Technology. The focus of the ROLEP is to do research on learning programming: to describe the learning process and issues that affect it and to find out ways to promote learning.

This web page includes information concerning a former research project and therefore this page has not been updated since 2005. Below is the list of publications that were an outcome of this project:

Kinnunen, P., Malmi, L., Problems in Problem-Based Learning - Experiences, Analysis and Lessons Learned on an Introductory Programming Course. Informatics in Education, vol 4 no 2, 2005, pp. 193-214.

Kinnunen, P., Malmi, L. Analysing Discussion in Problem-Based Learning Group in Basic Programming Course. Kolin Kolistelut-Koli Calling 2004. Fourth Finnish/Baltic Sea Conference on Computer Science Education, Koli, Finland, October 1-3,2004. Espoo 2004, Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Information Processing Science, pp. 97-100.
Kinnunen, P., Malmi, L. Do Students Work Efficiently in a Group? - Problem-Based Learning Groups in Basic Programming Course. Kolin Kolistelut-Koli Calling 2004. Fourth Finnish/Baltic Sea Conference on Computer Science Education, Koli, Finland, October 1-3, 2004. Espoo 2004, Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Laboratory of Information Processing Science, pp. 57-66.
Kinnunen, P., Malmi, L., Some methodological Viewpoints on how to Evaluate Efficiency of Learning in a Small Group - a Case Study of Learning Programming. Proceedings on 21st annual Symposium of the Finnish Association of Mathematics and Science Education Research, Helsinki, 2004. pp. 510-527.

Kinnunen, P., Malmi, L. Problem-Based Learning in Introductory Programming. Does it Scale Up? Second Annual Finnish / Baltic Sea Conference on Computer Science Education, October 18-20, 2002, Koli, Finland. Joensuu 2002, Joensuun yliopisto, pp. 38-42.

Kinnunen, P. 2004. Interaction and Experiences in University Students' PBL groups (in Finnish). Licentiate thesis. Helsinki University, Faculty of Behavioural Science.

Problem-based learning (PBL) in a introductory programming course (CS1)

So far our focus has been on PBL (Problem-Based Learning) groups. We have experiences applying of PBL on an introductory programming course for several years. Since 1999 students at Information networks curriculum have been studying introductory programming course using PBL. We observed that students in PBL groups were motivated and gained good learning results. Encouraged by these experiences we launched a new variation of PBL (Kinnunen and Malmi, 2002) where tutors’ role was radically reduced and thus less resource was needed. These modifications were launched to investigate how students could cope with reduced tutor resources and still get the benefit of PBL method.

In ROLEP we have done research concerning students experiences of PBL and interaction in PBL group. More information about PBL generally, students experiences and interaction in a group is found in following links:

Problem-based learning (PBL)

PBL without the tutor

Example of problems/cases

Students experiences of PBL

Interaction in PBL group