Using Robotics to Improve Retention and Increase Comprehension in Introductory Programming Courses

Several college majors, outside of computer science, require students to learn computer programming. Many students have difficulty getting through the programming sequence and ultimately change majors or drop out of college. To deal with this problem, active learning techniques were developed and implemented in a freshman programming logic and design course with the support of a 5-year $2-million Title III “Strengthening Institutions” grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This course includes a robotic component allowing students to own their learning and to collaborate in authentic and productive ways in the classroom. This article discusses the preliminary work and results from that course.