高中生以 Greenfoot 學習 Java 程式設計的學習效果

Abstract

程式設計是電腦科學教育的重要一環，但是對初學者來說確相當困難。本研究使用Greenfoot程式發展環境並以微世界(microworld)及建構主義的理念來輔助學生學習。Greenfoot是用來學習Java程式設計的微世界架構(microworld framework)，以支援教學活動，提昇學生的學習興趣，支援學生的探索式學習。 本研究進行為期八週的Greenfoot課程，實施對象為四十位高中一年級學生。課程內容涵蓋Kölling的Greenfoot教科書第一到第五章，另外加上了四個補充案例，作為學生課堂練習之用。本研究蒐集資料以質性方法為主，包括無干擾現場觀察、學生作業方析、學生問卷及教師訪談，以瞭解使用Greenfoot之學習成效。 研究結果顯示，學生對Greenfoot提供的聲光動畫功能很感興趣，但隨著程式案例難度的增加，興趣逐漸降低；學生對於將一個案例中學到的技能，轉移到另一個案例上，感到相當困難；此外，學生喜歡嚐試修改Greenfoot案例，使其產生不同的動畫效果，有助於他們觀察程式行為，達到程式設計學習之目的。建議教師在教材設計上以觀念為主，發揮Greenfoot的優點，在案例中加入更多的聲光動畫功能，並支援更多學生的探索式學習。

Learning to program is an important topic in computer science education, but is difficult for novice programmers. This study sought to assist the learning of the students with the Greenfoot programming environment and the idea of constructive learning. Greenfoot is a microworld framework that is dedicated to learning Java programming, in order to support the teaching, create the learning interests and support the explorational learning of the students. An eight-week Greenfoot class was given to a class of 40 senior high school students of 10th grade. The class covers Chapter 1 to 5 of the Kölling’s Greenfoot textbook, with four additional scenarios are given the students for the practice of the class. The data are collected primary through qualitative methods, including unobtrusive qualitative field observation, student project analysis, student survey, and teacher interview, in order to evaluate the learning effect with Greenfoot. The results show that the students display their interest with the sounds and animation functionality of Greenfoot in their learning process, but their interest decrease in time as the level of difficulty increases. The students have difficulty to transfer the skills they learned from one scenario to another. The students like to modify the Greenfoot scenarios in order to create their own animation effects. The modification of the Greenfoot scenarios helps them observe the behaviors of their programs and learn to program. Future teaching materials should focus on programming concepts instead of scenarios. More sounds and animations and explorational learning supports should also be added to the scenarios to employ the benefits of Greenfoot.