ITR: Universal Access to Programming--A Cross-Generation Learning Community

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

EIA-0081102 Rosson, Mary Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ITR: Universal Access to Programming-- A Cross-Generational Learning Community Issues of lifelong learning can be addressed by informal education-- voluntary and self-directed learning activities taking place in diverse settings (often outside traditional classrooms) that incorporate a variety of learning methods and are motivated by intrinsic interests such as curiosity, completion of a task itself, or social interaction. The voluntary and self-directed nature of these informal activities make them ideal for reaching populations outside traditional education settings. With respect to informal education on programming, modern visual simulation environments have many features that make them appealing. This research will investigate the effectiveness of a state-of-the-art simulation programming environment as support for informal education of a diverse population of end-user programmers within the context of an ongoing research project on community network infrastructure. Key research objectives include: * Characterization of the programming literacy gained through visual simulation programming and a determination of how this knowledge and its accusation is mediated by the maturity and background of end users. * Analysis of the role of the existing local community as a learning community in building and maintaining the programming skills of end users of varying ages and roles. * Prototyping and evaluating a framework for cumulating and sharing the artifacts and practices of end-user programming within the learning community.