Browsing by Author "Abenga, Elizabeth"

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Choosing tools of pedagogy (case of program visualization)
(International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering & Management, 2012) Mutua, Stephen; Abenga, Elizabeth; Ogao, Patrick; Wabwoba, Franklin; Ikoha, Anselmo
Computer aided learning has over time been integrated in traditional pedagogical approaches in order to improve the quality of education as well as skillful content acquisition. Several programs have been developed over time to be used in the classroom with the aim of improving on the mode of instruction. Program Visualization (PV) tools are an example of such developments with the desire of improving classroom experience during teaching/learning computer programming. Despite that the tools have posted positive results in various universities, teachers seem not to have widely accepted them. This paper seeks to establish the factors that influence the choice of a PV tool for teaching computer programming. The established list of factors indicates that they range from system based issues to other features beyond the system. From the results, it emerges that most teachers are not using emerging contemporary approaches but instead are making use of the traditional approach whose impact is less felt especially for technical courses like programming. These factors form part of taxonomy of PV tools for pedagogy.
Classifying program visualization tools to facilitate informed choices: teaching and learning computer programming
(International Journal of Computer Science and Telecommunications, 2012) Mutua, Stephen; Wabwoba, Franklin; Ogao, Patrick; Anselmo, Peter; Abenga, Elizabeth
Program Visualization (PV) is a technique that has been found useful in teaching computing programming. This has seen proliferation in development of PV tools with an aim of enhancing teaching/learning programming over the last two decades. However, the tools usage has remained minimal. Perhaps because it becomes challenging to ascertain the appropriate tool for the right task. This paper presents a classification of program visualization tools with the focus of aiding teachers and students in choosing the most appropriate tool for an interesting experience in the classroom. The paper is based on six various PV tools evaluated over a period of two consecutive academic years in a Kenyan public University. The classification augments the Price’s taxonomy of software visualization arm of PV by presenting four basic levels which are further subdivided into lower levels.
Language of Instruction under the Competency-based Curriculum of Kenya: Policy, Practice and Performance
(The International Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 2021-11-01) Odeo, Isaac Ipara; Ongeti, Karren Ohanga; Abenga, Elizabeth
In Kenya, the educational language policy stipulates that the language of instruction in lower primary Grade 1 to 3 in rural settings should be the learners’ First Language or Mother Tongue. In urban settings, the language of the school’s catchment area (usually English or Kiswahili) should be used as the language of instruction in Grade 1 to 3. Kiswahili and English are to be taught as subjects. English becomes the medium of instruction in all settings from Grade 4 onwards. This policy creates problems for teachers and learners considering that Kenya is linguistically heterogeneous. The purpose of this study was to establish the actual language practice in lower primary school Grade 1 to 3 in relation to declared policy and to evaluate its relationship with learners’ academic achievement. The objectives of the study were to establish the actual status of educational language policy and language practice in lower primary schools; to assess the relationship between the language of instruction and English subject scores of learners at Grade 4; to assess the relationship between the language of instruction and Mathematics subject scores of learners at Grade 4. The study area was Kakamega County, which was selected based on being a county with a fair mix of urban, rural and semi-urban schools. The study adopted a correlational design. The study population comprised 1,120 primary schools and 10,767 Grade 4 learners. Multistage sampling was used to select a sample of 175 schools from the population. Questionnaires were administered to 75 teachers and mean scores of Grade 4 assessment results were obtained from 1,076 learners from the sampled schools as part of a different, larger study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics were used to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study indicate that there is a gap between policy and practice in lower primary school. The study revealed that there is a strong correlation between the language of instruction at lower primary school and learners’ academic achievement at Grade 4 in English and in Mathematics subjects. A policy shift is recommended to unify the language of instructions in the new CBC framework. This is imperative for equality of outcome in the learners’ Grade 4 school-based assessment under the CBC
Teaching computer programming in the 21st century
(International Journal of Science and Technology, 2011) Mutua, Stephen; Wabwoba, Franklin; Abenga, Elizabeth; Kilwake, Juma; Ogao, Patrick
Over the years, research has shown that programming has proved to be a challenging task to many. Due to this, several program visualization tools have been developed to aid in teaching programming. This study aimed at assessing the impact of using programming visualization tools in the teaching and learning of computer Programming. An overview of the tools that were used during the study is given followed by review of literature on the benefits of PV tools in teaching Programming. The study is based on Edga Dale’s (1954) Cone of Experience, which forms the foundation of resource based learning theories. Literature reveals that the use of program visualization tools in teaching and learning Programming have posted positive results in various institutions. This is followed by a report of a study conducted using experimental research design approach. The same class was taught two programming introductory courses using BlueJ and Jeliot3 tools; and the performance of the students in the two courses was compared. In addition, during the classes, the covert-direct observation method was used to observe student interactions’ and behaviors as they programmed and solved problems during the lessons. Results revealed that these tools if effectively used can improve on the alertness of students, interest in the subject and ultimately positive results.