Abstract:

Usually, in curricular units of programming, the process begins with the teaching of algorithms, and later the knowledge of logic learned being applied to a specific programming language.
In the course of Informatics Engineering of the Informatics Engineering Department of School of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ISEP/IPP) one of the curriculum units that first directly deals with this training is called APROG (unit of Algorithm and Programming). This unit starts with the teaching of algorithm followed by the programming language JAVA.
In recent years, we used the EduScrum teaching methodology, where the student follows a set of procedures focused on the needs and indications of a Product Owner. The subject is structured in: programming fundamentals, programs codification, classes, modular decomposition, arrays and text files manipulation.
During the next year we intend to add to the process a new tool, with the main goal of evaluating its potential for the teaching process of programming. This tool is the VPL (Virtual Programming Lab) that will be incorporated into the Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) of the curricular unit of APROG. With this study we intend to analyse the potential of the tool and verify if it is possible to provide to students validation of their own programs by previously providing a set of data. In this way we will have an overview about the potential of the tool and correlate the results with its pedagogical potential.
This paper is part of a preliminary study on virtual laboratories in programming teaching.

Keywords:

Teaching programming, algorithms, Learning Management System (LMS), Eduscrum, Virtual Programming Lab.