What is it about?
This paper delves into the realm of adult novices learning programming informally online. It investigates the under-researched area of self-regulation in such learning contexts. The paper conducts a scoping review, analysing 8 selected papers from a pool of 510, which revealed significant gaps in supporting self-regulation for this particular group. Notably, it uncovers the unique challenges these learners face, such as loneliness, frustration, and uncertainty. It also highlights the potential role of peer support, self-efficacy, and metacognition skills in improving learning journey.
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Why is it important?
This research fills an important gap in understanding the unique challenges and needs of adult novices learning programming informally online. It emphasises self-regulation, a rarely studied aspect in informal online learning settings, and highlights its potential importance for these learners. This study can guide educators, online learning designers, and edtech entrepreneurs in designing more supportive and effective learning experiences for adult novices. Policymakers can also leverage these insights to create more informed and targeted adult education policies. Ultimately, the research helps us to better support adult novice learners on their programming journey, fostering a more inclusive and successful digital learning environment.
Perspectives
I hope this paper leads to more awareness of the diversity in programming education literature and identifies areas requiring further investigation. It is important to recognise the need for supporting learners who face challenges such as loneliness, frustration, and uncertainty while learning to program informally. This scoping review, in particular, underscores the limited research on the support mechanisms for adult novice learners in informal online contexts. My aspiration is that these insights will aid those who are seeking evidence of this research gap and assist those interested in designing learning experiences in similar contexts. Furthermore, I believe this paper can guide designers in finding a suitable framework for their design thinking, by shedding light on the relevant self-regulation concepts that directly address the needs of this population.
Sami Alghamdi
Newcastle University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring the Support for Self-Regulation in Adult Online Informal Programming Learning: A Scoping Review, June 2023, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3587102.3588811.
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