CodeAbility – Digitally supported programming at universities
High quality coding training is an essential core area of digital skills. However, adequate communication is a major challenge due to the multiplicity of students, their heterogeneous prior knowledge of programming and a shortage of teachers. The programming training offered so far cannot meet these challenges due to its fragmentary nature and the underutilization of e-learning potential.
Get to know the initiative
The CodeAbility project was set up to counter this and to provide students with adequate knowledge. It aims to create teaching and learning environments for quality and individual programming training. To this end, a dedicated coding platform with associated teaching and learning materials and a didactic approach were developed. In summary, the project is therefore based on the following pillars:
- Development of didactic concepts
- Use learning analytics to enable individual learning pathways
- Networking of teachers and institution
In order to keep drop-out rates low among students, a combination of face-to-face and virtual learning opportunities is foreseen. This makes it possible to learn regardless of time and place and thus achieve a deep programming understanding. At the same time, individual learning speeds are taken into account.
Learning is to be done through ‘programming learning analytics’. These enable students to manage their own learning process and monitor their progress, while respecting data protection.
The exchange of teachers and learners from different institutions will also take place alongside just-in-time training, and all the teaching materials developed in the project will be made available to the public in the form of Open Educational Resources (Oers).
Open Educational Resources in Programming Education
The CodeAbility project was one of the winners of the call for tenders ‘Digital and Social Transformation’ of the former Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. Projects in this category are considered forward-looking and have the potential to make the university and higher education system fit for the digital age. The support will run until 2024.
The following scientific partners are working together to implement the project: University of Innsbruck, Technical University of Graz, Vienna Technical University, University of Linz, University of Salzburg, University of Klagenfurt, Danube University Krems
What makes CodeAbility a good practice?
CodeAbility can be seen as a good practice example, as it provides a holistic solution to address the increasing importance of coding skills in the context of digitalisation. It was initiated to prepare students from all disciplines for these requirements. The initiative is characterized by the integration of face-to-face and virtual learning opportunities, allowing students to learn regardless of time and place, while respecting their individual learning speed. This helps to promote a deep understanding of programming.
Another positive aspect is the use of Learning Analytics, which allows students to manage their own learning process and track their progress. This leads to a personalised and effective learning environment.The project also promotes cooperation and exchanges between teachers and learners from different institutions. It also makes developed educational materials available to the public as Open Educational Resources, which promotes the dissemination of educational content and cooperation in education.
Looking forward
The recognition of the project as a forward-looking project and the financial support until 2024 by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research underline its importance and the potential to strengthen the university and higher education system for the digital age. Overall, it is an exemplary project that sets out a way to meet the requirements of digitalisation in higher education.
