Learning Analytics of Programming

We designed (with G. Oster) a tool called the Programmer's Learning Machine where our students can exercise their algorithmic skills through little programming activities. It evolved into a pedagogical platform where we aim at understanding how students do acquire these skills, and at improving our pedagogy.

My dream would be to change this learning tool into a teaching tool that would provide specific tools and dashboards to assist the teachers in their task. Such tools will constitute a mandatory asset to successfully manage the ongoing introduction of the Informatics to the school.

The PLM is described in this article while the project research is described in the following set of slides (in French, sorry). Click on the picture to download the presentation. The following poster summarizes it in English.

Computational Thinking for All

I participated to several working groups and think tanks aiming at introducing Computer Science in schools at every age. The presentation below should be rewamped, but it gathers some thoughts on this topic (in French).

Nobody learns reading without being taught writing, so every computer user should be taught about programming. For that, learners should be given the opportunity to experiment. Thus the PLM interactive exerciser. Thus the unplug activities on algorithms. Thus the Creative Programming activities.

Our undergrad students to primary and secondary schools for unplug activities and introductory talks. It helps the pupils, the teachers who are often embarassed with the informatics, and our students who need to practice their communication skills (great idea is from D. Cachera).

I am a trainer in the option Informatics of the "Agregation" in Industrial Science (see wikipedia). This is one way to train the future teachers in our topic.