Title:	PROMOTING REFLECTION IN NOVICE PROGRAMMERS USING A METACOGNITIVE INTERFACE WITH LEARNING OBJECTS
Author(s):	Eileen Costelloe , Elizabeth Sherry , Patricia Magee , Morag Munro
ISBN:	972-8924-22-4
Editors:	Kinshuk, Demetrios G Sampson, J. Michael Spector and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2006
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Computer programming, reflective learning, education, metacognition, Constructivist Learning Environment, Reusable Learning Objects.
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	283
Last Page:	288
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Learning computer programming has proven challenging for novice learners; research indicates that this is a universal problem. Programming theoretically encourages learners to evaluate their solutions and thinking process and this cognitive process allows the student to transfer newly acquired problem solving skills to novel problem situations. Knowledge about one’s own cognitive system is called metacognition. There are three types of metacognition, knowledge about one’s own thought processes, self-awareness or self-regulation, and one’s beliefs and intuitions (Schoenfeld, 1987).Metacognitive skills are activated during learning, make learning easier and facilitate knowledge transfer. These skills are needed when habitual responses are not successful (Blakey & Spence, 1990) and problem solving, hence programming, is one area where it is appropriate and necessary to develop metacognitive strategies. This paper outlines on-going research which aims to address the challenges faced by novice programmers by providing them with an innovative learning tool. The focus of the paper is on an innovative aspect of the learning tool which is a metacognitive interface aimed at promoting the development of the learner’s metacognitive skills. Using the tool, learners outline an initial approach to a concept/problem solution, reflect on what they knew initially and what they have learned and then review the approach initially adopted. By requiring the learner to articulate his/her approach, implicit knowledge becomes explicit, making the learning process more effective. The students’ approaches and reflections will be stored and these metacognitive traces will be captured to provide the lecturer/tutor with a valuable insight into the approaches adopted by the students and any particular areas of weakness.
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