Abstract:

Traditionally, programming modules in universities are taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, and practical lab sessions. While these traditional methods remain widely used, there is an increasing adoption of technology-enhanced approaches as alternatives or to complement these activities. Lab sessions provide a dedicated environment for students to apply the knowledge gained from lectures and tutorials. While lab sessions in programming modules offer valuable hands-on experience, there are a few potential disadvantages associated with them, including limited availability, lack of individual pace, and insufficient feedback time. When it comes to providing solutions to lab exercises, lecturers in programming modules employ various approaches based on their teaching style and the learning objectives of the course. These include i.) In-Class Demonstrations, lecturers may conduct in-class demonstrations where they walk students through the process of solving the lab exercise, ii.) Source code solution – provision of often heavily commented/annotated source code that the students can review as a completed coded solution. A variance in simply giving the completed solution is solution guides with lecturers providing a step-by-step explanation of how to solve the lab exercise. These guides typically include the code snippets, explanations of the reasoning behind the code, and any relevant notes or tips.

An alternative format for the provision of lab solutions is the use of video. The format could be either i.) static code Walk-throughs, where the lecture explains the code line by line or ii.) Build-up, involving the lecturers demonstrating and narrating the construction of the solution exercise from scratch. Either format can offer several advantages and enhance the learning experience. Visual and Audio Explanation: instructors provide visual and audio explanations, which can be more engaging and effective in conveying complex programming concepts. Instructors can demonstrate coding techniques, explain algorithms, and walk through the step-by-step process of solving the lab exercises. Demonstrative Learning: provides a platform to demonstrate coding practices, proper syntax, debugging techniques, and best programming practices. Flexibility and Accessibility: video solutions can be accessed at any time and from anywhere. Self-paced Learning: students can pause, rewind, or fast-forward the video content based on their individual needs and progress.

There are acknowledged challenges of video-based solutions, such as the need for quality production, ensuring accessibility features, and addressing varying student preferences. Video production is resource intensive and requires updates if the exercise is changed in future iterations of the course.

This paper seeks to investigate and report on the provision of video-based solutions for lab exercises. It includes a review of the theoretical framework for its adoption, the current practices, and reports on the attitudinal views of students and lecturers toward its potential for novice programming university students and forms part of a longitudinal study into the attitudes, experiences, and impact of the provision of video lab solution for university-level novice programmers.

Keywords:

Coding, programming, video, beginners programming, lab solutions, university programmers, technology enhancement.