2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 329: Investigating the Impact of Context Choice on Learning Experience via Immersive Simulations in an Object-Oriented Programming Course

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session

Researchers have looked into ways to make computer science assignments more engaging, practical, and beneficial to students to improve learning outcomes by increasing student appeal. Offering a pool of assignments and allowing students to choose their preferred assignments is considered as a potential method for improving learning outcomes. In this paper, we investigate the effect of context choice for assignments in an object-oriented programming course that covers various topics such as object-oriented programming concepts, database design and implementation, graphical user interface design, and web application development. Students complete three immersive simulation-based learning (ISBL) modules as course assignments. ISBL modules involve technology-enhanced problem-based learning where the problem context is represented via a three-dimensional (3D), animated discrete-event simulation model that resembles a real-world system or context, in this case, we have three simulated systems/contexts around which ISBL assignments are defined: an airport, a manufacturing system, and a hospital emergency department. The research experiments involve four groups: (1) students with no choice who use the same assigned simulated system for all three ISBL assignments; (2) students with no choice who are given a different simulated system for each ISBL assignment; (3) students who can choose their preferred simulated system at the beginning but cannot change their choice for future assignments; and, (4) students who can choose at the beginning and switch between the three simulated systems for subsequent assignments. Data are collected over multiple semesters and statistical analyses are conducted to compare the four groups in terms of motivation, experiential learning, and self-assessment of learning. We also conduct qualitative assessments in the form of interviews to support and explain our statistical results.

Authors

Dr. Sabahattin Gokhan Ozden http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5005-0298 Pennsylvania State University, Abington [biography]

Dr. Sabahattin Gokhan Ozden is an assistant professor of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State Abington. He has a Ph.D. and MISE from Auburn University in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a B.Sc. in Software Engineering and double major in Industrial Systems Engineering from Izmir University of Economics. His research interests are warehousing, optimization, engineering education, and information systems. Dr. Ozden has published in various journals/conferences including Computers and Operations Research and Naval Research Logistics. His website address is https://www.gokhanozden.com.
Dr. Ashkan Negahban http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3393-3395 Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley [biography]

Dr. Ashkan Negahban is an Associate Professor of Engineering Management at The Pennsylvania State University, School of Graduate Professional Studies. He received his Ph.D. and master’s degrees from Auburn University (USA) and his BS from University of Tehran (all in Industrial and Systems Engineering). His research involves stochastic simulation methods, primarily agent-based and discrete-event simulation. He also conducts research related to novel simulation-based learning environments in STEM education. His email and web addresses are anegahban@psu.edu and https://ashkannegahban.com.
Dr. Omar Ashour http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3775-6445 Pennsylvania State University, Behrend [biography]

Dr. Omar Ashour is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, The Behrend College. Dr. Ashour received a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering/Manufacturing Engineering and an M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in 2005 and 2007, respectively. He received his M.Eng. degree in Industrial Engineering/Human Factors and Ergonomics and a Ph.D. degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Dr. Ashour was the inaugural recipient of William and Wendy Korb Early Career Professorship in Industrial Engineering in 2016. Dr. Ashour’s research areas include data-driven decision-making, modeling and simulation, data analytics, immersive technologies, and process improvement. He contributed to research directed to improve design and engineering education.
Dr. Daniel Knight University of Colorado, Boulder [biography]

Daniel W. Knight is the Program Assessment and Research Associate at Design Center (DC) Colorado in CUâ€™s Department of Mechanical Engineering at the College of Engineering and Applied Science. He holds a B.A. in psychology from Louisiana State Universit

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