Introduction

My name is Jimmy Lin. I am a third year doctoral student at the University of Maryland focused on computer science education. As a lifelong programmer, I hold a firm belief in the importance of computer programming education. My research focuses on exploring ways to bridge the gap between block-based and text-based programming and using physical computing as a means to support computer science programming education. We presented the "Switch Mode: A Visual Programming Approach for Transitioning from Block-based to Text-based Programming" as a demo at SIGCSE TS 2023 in Toronto, Canada. 

What is SIGCSE

SIGCSE is also known as the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education. It is a professional community of educators and researchers dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of computer science. The SIGCSE Technical Symposium addresses problems common among educators working to develop, implement, and evaluate computing programs, curricula, and courses. The symposium provides a forum for sharing new ideas for syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy at all levels of instruction.

The SIGCSE TS is a major event in the field of computer science education, bringing together educators, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to exchange ideas and collaborate on new initiatives. The conference includes presentations, workshops, panels, and special sessions covering a wide range of topics related to computer science education. Whether you are an educator, researcher, or practitioner in the field of computer science education, the SIGCSE conference is a great event for staying up-to-date with the latest advancements and making meaningful connections with colleagues in the CS Ed community. Although there is a portion of the audience and presentations focused on K-12 CSEd, the majority of the conference is focused on the university level CS1 courses.

Switch Mode

During SIGCSE, we presented "Switch Mode: A Visual Programming Approach for Transitioning from Block-based to Text-based Programming" as a demo. Switch Mode is designed to help novice programmers transition from block-based to text-based programming.

We first discuss the benefits of block-based programming and how it can be used as an introductory programming environment. Then, we discussed the limitations of block-based programming and how it can hinder the development of programming skills beyond the basics, especially if students want to move to a CS career. We proposed the use of Switch Mode, which allows users to switch from a block-programming interface to a text-based programming environment (Python), to gradually build their skills and comfort with text-based programming.

We described the design and implementation of Switch Mode, which includes features such as a convert option that shows the corresponding code for a given block, the debugging feature of drag and drop, and the monitor code. The demo generated a lot of conversation about the potential use case of Switch Mode, and many believe that it can help bridge the gap between block-based and text-based programming and has the potential to be a valuable tool for educators and learners. In particular, we also received questions and feedback regarding how Switch Mode would support students in debugging. We are currently working on the debugging feature and will showcase it once it is ready.

If you wish to learn more about our demo, you can visit this page to watch the pre-recorded video. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3545947.3573235 

The importance of going to a conference

Attending a conference and connecting with other people who are working on similar topics is essential. Throughout the conferences, we met with a few people who are also working on solving the transition issue. Dr. Michael Kölling (King's College London) and Pierre Weill-Tessier (King's College London) presented Stryde, a frame-based editing software, as a hybrid programming environment. Dr. Jeremiah Blanchard (University of Florida) spent a fair amount of time exploring dual-modality instruction for CS1 courses. Majeed Kazemitabaar (University of Toronto) presented how structured editors shape novice errors when transitioning from blocks to text. You can always learn from others. We hope to see you at the next conference, which for us is AERA 2023 in Chicago.