METHODS FOR TEACHING

PROGRAMMING

Presented at Blantyre Secondary School

by M. Chiwamba

2024
"Teaching kids to code is about giving
them the tools to create the world of
tomorrow."
— Marc Scott
"In learning you will teach, and in
teaching you will learn."
— Phil Collins
Let’s get started….
Objective

 By the end of the presentation, participants

must have a comprehensive understanding of
methods of teaching Programming.
Activity 1: What teaching and
learning methods do you use in a
programming class?
 Lecture and Explanation
 Conceptual Overview: Start with a clear conceptual overview
of the language. Explain basic concepts like syntax, variables,
data types, control structures, and functions.
 Example: Explain what a variable is with a simple analogy, like
a container that holds information, and show how to declare
and use variables in Visual Basic:
Dim age As Integer
age = 41
 Interactive Demonstrations

 Live Coding: Demonstrate coding in real-time, explaining each

step. This helps students see the process and understand the logic.
 Example: Write a simple Visual Basic program that takes user input
and displays it:
Sub Main()
Console.WriteLine("Enter your name:")
Dim name As String = Console.ReadLine()
Console.WriteLine("Hello, " & name)
End Sub
Project-Based Learning

 Project-Based Learning (PBL) involves students working on

a project over an extended period, which allows them to
explore and apply programming concepts in a practical
context. This method encourages critical thinking,
problem-solving, collaboration, and various forms of
communication.
 Example: Create a basic calculator application in Visual
Basic:
Sub Main()
Dim num1, num2 As Double
Console.WriteLine("Enter first number:")
num1 = Convert.ToDouble(Console.ReadLine())
Console.WriteLine("Enter second number:")
num2 = Convert.ToDouble(Console.ReadLine())
Console.WriteLine("Sum: " & (num1 + num2))
End Sub
Pair Programming

 Collaborative Learning: Pair students to work on coding

tasks together. One writes the code while the other
reviews and suggests improvements.
 Example: One student writes a Visual Basic function say,
to calculate the factorial of a number, while the other
checks for errors and optimizes the code.
Coding exercises

 Practice Problems: Provide a series of coding exercises

that gradually increase in difficulty.
 Example: Start with simple exercises like calculating the
sum of an array and progress to more complex tasks like
sorting algorithms.
Debugging Sessions

 Problem-Solving: Teach students how to debug by giving

them code with intentional errors to find and fix.
 Example: Provide a faulty Visual Basic code snippet and
ask students to debug it.
Sub Main()
Dim numbers() As Integer = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Dim sum As Integer = 0
For i As Integer = 1 To numbers.Length -1
sum += numbers(i)
Next
Console.WriteLine("Sum: " & sum)
End Sub
Flipped classroom

 In a flipped classroom, traditional learning environments

are reversed. Students learn new content at home
through videos and readings, and class time is dedicated
to exercises, projects, and discussions.
 This approach allows for more interactive and hands-on
learning during class.
Gamification

 Learning Through Games: Create coding challenges or

quizzes with a point system to motivate students.
Peer Teaching

 Students as Teachers: Allow students to teach a concept

or solve a problem in front of the class.
 Example: Have a student explain how to create and use
arrays in Visual Basic, providing examples and answering
questions.
Scenario-Based Learning

 Contextual Problems: Present coding problems within the

context of a scenario or story to make learning more
engaging.
 Example: Create a scenario where students need to write
a program to manage a library's book inventory.
Simulation and Modelling

 Simulate Real-World Scenarios: Use simulation tools to

model real-world systems that can be controlled or
influenced through programming.
Code Walkthroughs

 Detailed Code Explanation: Conduct thorough code

walkthroughs where the teacher explains the code line by
line.
 Example: Walk through a Visual Basic application for a
simple banking system, explaining how each part of the
code works.
Learning Journals

 Reflective Writing: Have students keep journals where

they reflect on what they've learned, challenges faced,
and how they overcame them.
 Example: After each lesson, students write about a
particular coding concept they found challenging and how
they practiced to understand it better.
Competitions and Hackathons
 Challenge-Based Learning: Organize coding competitions
or hackathons to motivate students to apply their skills
under pressure.
 Example: Host a 24-hour hackathon where students must
develop a functioning Visual Basic application from
scratch.
Note: A hackathon is an event, typically lasting from a day to
a week, in which programmers, designers, project managers,
and other stakeholders in software development collaborate
intensively on software projects.
Use of Pseudocode
 Encourage writing pseudocode before actual coding to
plan and structure their logic.
 Example: Write pseudocode for a Visual Basic program
that manages a to-do list before translating it into actual
code.
Note: Pseudocode is an informal, high-level description of
the steps in an algorithm or program, written in a way that
resembles a programming language but is intended for
human reading rather than machine execution.
Interactive Quizzes

 Immediate Feedback: Use interactive quizzes to test

understanding and provide immediate feedback.
 Example: Create quizzes with questions on Visual Basic
syntax and logic, using platforms like Moodle.
Group Discussions

 Collaborative Understanding: Facilitate group discussions

on programming concepts and problem-solving strategies.
 Example: After a lesson on recursion, have students
discuss different use cases and potential pitfalls in small
groups.
Scaffolded Instruction
 Provide scaffolded instruction that gradually removes
support as students become more proficient.
 Example: Start with heavily guided exercises and
gradually move to more open-ended projects where
students have to apply learned concepts independently.
Note: Scaffolding refers to a teaching method that involves
providing successive levels of temporary support to help
students achieve higher levels of comprehension and skill
acquisition.
Problem-Based Learning

 Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered

pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through
solving an open-ended problem.
 This method helps develop critical thinking and problem-
solving skills.
 Example: Present a problem like automating a scheduling
system and have students develop a Visual Basic solution.
Activity 2

1.Explain any three key differences

between Project-Based Learning and
Problem-Based learning.
2.Which method in question 1, do you
find most appealing, and why?
"Programming isn't about what you
know; it's about what you can figure
out."
- Chris Pine
End of Presentation