Rebecca Rohmeyer , Paula Sanjuan Espejo , Lulu Sun, Ph.D , Christina Frederick, Ph.D

1. A Human Factors Perspective on Learning Programming Languages using a Second Language Acquisition Approach Rebecca Rohmeyer, Paula SanjuanEspejo, Lulu Sun, Ph.D, Christina Frederick, Ph.D Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

2. Overview What is Human Factors? Problems with current design of programming classes Learning and learning languages New approaches SLA-aBLe Project Results

3. What is Human Factors? “Human Factors is concerned with the application of what we know about people, their abilities, characteristics, and limitations to the design of equipment they use, environments in which they function, and jobs they perform.” (Human Factors and Ergonomics Society)

4. Problems with current programming classes • More emphasis on outcome rather than process student took (Linn & Clancy, 1992) • Expectations too high for students (Linn & Clancy, 1992) • Novice programmers organize information different from experts (Solomon, 2004) • Novice: Syntax rather than concepts • Experts: Concepts rather than syntax

5. Learning “Learning is a persisting change in human performance or performance potential… which much come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world.” (Driscoll, 2000) Language acquisition vs Language learning

6. Language Learning vs Acqusition • Language acquisition is the innate, species-specific linguistic knowledge in one’s mastery of a language, whether it be native or foreign (Anderson, 2007) • Effortless, unconscious • Language learning involves explicit and implicit learning • Explicit: aware • Implicit: unaware

7. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) Behaviorist and innatist theories in SLA (Klein, 1988) Behaviorist: frequently used by high school foreign language classes Innatist: will occur naturally; no teacher Both theories put little to no pressure on learner

8. New approaches to learning programming languages Blended environments aid the learning process for students (15-19) Learning a program language is analogous to learning a second speaking language SLA techniques

9. SLA-aBLe • “Second Language Acquisition in a Blended Learning Environment” (SLA-aBLe) • Resigning the way the Introduction to MATLAB (EGR115) is taught • Goals • Improve engagement and learning experience

10. SLA-aBLe • “Second Language Acquisition in a Blended Learning Environment” (SLA-aBLe) • Resigning the way the Introduction to MATLAB (EGR115) is taught • Goals • Improve engagement and learning experience

11. Results: Grade Data

12. Results: Demographics

13. Results: Demographics

14. Questions?

15. References Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Definitions of Human Factors and Ergonomics, n.d. Linn, M.C., & Clancy, M.J., The case for case studies of programming problems, Communications of the ACM, 1992. Solomon, J., Programming as a Second Language, Learning & Leading with Technology. 2004. Driscoll, M., Psychology Learning for Instruction, Allyn & Bacon, Needham Heights, MA, 2000. Anderson, D., Adult Language Learning, 2007. Klein, W., Second Language Acquisition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1988.