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Mastery Learning in CS1 - An Invitation to Procrastinate?: Reflecting on Six Years of Mastery Learning

Authors:

Brendan McCane,

Nick MeekAuthors Info & Claims

ITiCSE '21: Proceedings of the 26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 1

Pages 18 - 24

https://doi.org/10.1145/3430665.3456321

Published: 26 June 2021 Publication History

Abstract

Over six years we developed our first-year programming course, delivered through scheduled lectures and assessed by practical tests and a final examination, into a mastery learning-oriented course. In this study we provide an in-depth view of how successive adjustments to the course resulted in changes in student behaviour impacting task completion, final grades and activity patterns. Data from this period involving over 1300 students is presented and augmented with student feedback. Our results show that the successive move to a fully-fledged mastery model resulted in an overall decreasing task completion with longer periods of inactivity. Interventions to increase student engagement with the course were only partly successful. In this paper we present a long-term study to highlight opportunities and challenges when shifting to a mastery learning model.

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Cited By

Malhotra VGarcia DDorodchi MZhange MCooper S(2024)Steering Student Behavior and Performance Toward Success with Mastery Learning through Policy OptimizationProceedings of the 2024 on ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference V. 110.1145/3649165.3690109(144-150)Online publication date: 5-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3649165.3690109
Hogan ELi RSoosai Raj AGriswold WPorter LStephenson BStone JBattestilli LRebelsky SShoop L(2024)Challenges and Approaches to Teaching CS1 in PrisonProceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3626252.3630802(512-518)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1145/3626252.3630802
Aerts K(2024)Improving Students’ Engagement and Learning Outcomes in a Primer Course on Object Oriented Programming in Java.2024 47th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO)10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569397(642-647)Online publication date: 20-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569397
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Mastery Learning in CS1 - An Invitation to Procrastinate?: Reflecting on Six Years of Mastery Learning
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

ITiCSE '21: Proceedings of the 26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 1

June 2021

611 pages

ISBN:9781450382144

DOI:10.1145/3430665

General Chairs:
Carsten Schulte
Paderborn University, Germany
,
Brett A. Becker
University College Dublin, Ireland
,
Program Chairs:
Monica Divitini
NTNU, Norway
,
Erik Barendsen
Radboud University & Open University, The Netherlands

Copyright © 2021 ACM.

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Published: 26 June 2021

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ITiCSE 2021: 26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education

June 26 - July 1, 2021

Virtual Event, Germany

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Overall Acceptance Rate 552 of 1,613 submissions, 34%

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Cited By

Malhotra VGarcia DDorodchi MZhange MCooper S(2024)Steering Student Behavior and Performance Toward Success with Mastery Learning through Policy OptimizationProceedings of the 2024 on ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference V. 110.1145/3649165.3690109(144-150)Online publication date: 5-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3649165.3690109
Hogan ELi RSoosai Raj AGriswold WPorter LStephenson BStone JBattestilli LRebelsky SShoop L(2024)Challenges and Approaches to Teaching CS1 in PrisonProceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3626252.3630802(512-518)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1145/3626252.3630802
Aerts K(2024)Improving Students’ Engagement and Learning Outcomes in a Primer Course on Object Oriented Programming in Java.2024 47th MIPRO ICT and Electronics Convention (MIPRO)10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569397(642-647)Online publication date: 20-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/MIPRO60963.2024.10569397
Buraphadeja VSrisarkun V(2024)Mastery learning in CS1: a longitudinal study during and post-pandemicDiscover Education10.1007/s44217-024-00361-x3:1Online publication date: 2-Dec-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00361-x
Janeczko JJunker RHörter PHolodynski M(2024)Förderung der professionellen Wahrnehmung und Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugungen über Klassenführung mithilfe eines digitalen, videobasierten Mastery-Learning-ModulsPromoting professional vision and self-efficacy beliefs about classroom management by using a digital, video-based mastery learning moduleUnterrichtswissenschaft10.1007/s42010-024-00197-2Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42010-024-00197-2
Lim RKrause-Levy SVillegas Molina IPorter LDoyle MStephenson BDorn BSoh LBattestilli L(2023)Student Expectations of Tutors in Computing CoursesProceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3545945.3569766(437-443)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2023
https://doi.org/10.1145/3545945.3569766
Krause-Levy SValstar SPorter LGriswold W(2022)A demographic analysis on prerequisite preparation in an advanced data structures courseACM Inroads10.1145/353456313:2(34-41)Online publication date: 17-May-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3534563
Sychev OKamennov YMerkle LDoyle MSheard JSoh LDorn B(2022)Grading Mastery: Calculating Grades from Domain-Law ViolationsProceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 210.1145/3478432.3499135(1170-1170)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3478432.3499135
Marco-Galindo MMinguillon JGarcia-Solorzano DSancho-Vinuesa T(2022)Why Do CS1 Students Become Repeaters?IEEE Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologias del Aprendizaje10.1109/RITA.2022.319128817:3(245-253)Online publication date: Aug-2022
https://doi.org/10.1109/RITA.2022.3191288
Oerther D(2022)Using Modified Mastery Learning to Teach Sustainability and Life-Cycle Principles as Part of Modeling and DesignEnvironmental Engineering Science10.1089/ees.2021.038539:9(784-795)Online publication date: 1-Sep-2022
https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2021.0385

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