Second Language Acquisition in a Blended Learning of programming languages (SLA-aBLe): Students respond to new materials

SLA-aBLe, Second Language Acquisition applied to a Blended Learning of programming languages, is an on-going project the team started on 2014. The objective is to improve student’s learning experience of a programming language class by applying second language acquisition techniques to make the process more comprehensive and interactive for students.
This is a fluid project in which new changes and improvements based on students’ feedback are implemented after each term. The materials created include: new slides and videos for online learning purposes, new labs and activities, active programming quizzes and discussion boards online. In previous terms, the students have responded positively to the new materials and suggested further ways to improve them. The team has made changes based on the student’s response to these new materials, which is worth analyzing in this poster. The grades of students in the sections will be compared. Most importantly, their responses to the surveys and one-on-one interviews carried out regarding the students’ feedback on the project will be discussed. It is also important to analyze and present the demographics of the students who have taken this course and how and if that has affected their SLA-aBLe experience. As a student who has taken this course without the SLA-aBLe experience but a second language speaker, the author can compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages SLA-aBLe supposes for students taking the programming language course. Future work and outreach of this project will also be analyzed in this poster.

Author(s):

Paula Sanjuan Espejo    
Aerospace Engineering
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
United States