Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
individual
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Abigail Blalock, Sophomore
Lead Presenter's Name
Abigail Blalock
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor Name
Debarati Basu
Abstract
In this poster, we are going to present empirical insight into first-year engineering students' self-direction in learning programming. Learner autonomy and self-directed learning play a key role in fostering lifelong learning and adaptability. This is particularly important in the field of programming, where students need to keep up with constant progression in programming techniques and technological advancements. We use the 25-item Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-Direction in Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS) in this study to assess the self-direction of first-year engineering students in learning programming. Additionally, this study examines whether the results of the PRO-SDLS align with previous studies that have applied the scale to undergraduate engineering and computing students. Further, we evaluate the internal validity of the survey to find out if it accurately measures self-direction in learning within our context. The survey was administered in Fall 2024 at the beginning of an introductory programming course for first-year engineering students. Data was collected from seven course sections, where 162 students completed this survey, among which 150 consented to participate in the study. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' self-direction at the start of their programming course. Cronbach's Alpha will be calculated to measure the internal consistency of the survey. Finally, the results will be compared with findings from previous studies to evaluate consistency. The findings will offer a clearer understanding of students' self-direction in learning programming, an area that has been relatively understudied. Additionally, the study will provide initial insights into the reliability of the survey within the specific context of this research. These results will contribute to a larger study examining the impact of educational technologies used in the classroom on students' self-direction in learning.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Evaluation of Students' Self-Directed Learning in First-Year Programming
In this poster, we are going to present empirical insight into first-year engineering students' self-direction in learning programming. Learner autonomy and self-directed learning play a key role in fostering lifelong learning and adaptability. This is particularly important in the field of programming, where students need to keep up with constant progression in programming techniques and technological advancements. We use the 25-item Personal Responsibility Orientation to Self-Direction in Learning Scale (PRO-SDLS) in this study to assess the self-direction of first-year engineering students in learning programming. Additionally, this study examines whether the results of the PRO-SDLS align with previous studies that have applied the scale to undergraduate engineering and computing students. Further, we evaluate the internal validity of the survey to find out if it accurately measures self-direction in learning within our context. The survey was administered in Fall 2024 at the beginning of an introductory programming course for first-year engineering students. Data was collected from seven course sections, where 162 students completed this survey, among which 150 consented to participate in the study. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' self-direction at the start of their programming course. Cronbach's Alpha will be calculated to measure the internal consistency of the survey. Finally, the results will be compared with findings from previous studies to evaluate consistency. The findings will offer a clearer understanding of students' self-direction in learning programming, an area that has been relatively understudied. Additionally, the study will provide initial insights into the reliability of the survey within the specific context of this research. These results will contribute to a larger study examining the impact of educational technologies used in the classroom on students' self-direction in learning.