computer science meets foreign languages

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COMPUTER SCIENCE MEETS FOREIGN LANGUAGES Barbara Sabitzer Klagenfurt University (AUSTRIA) [email protected]

Abstract Computer Science Education in secondary school often has mathematical or economical orientation, but it offers much more possibilities, especially for interdisciplinary learning and projects. This paper will show some creative ideas for a “meeting” between computer science and foreign languages. The main purpose is not to show possibilities for computer-supported language learning – this is only a secondary objective – but to integrate topics of foreign languages in computer science or informatics (the terms are used as synonyms in this paper), as well as using methods of informatics for language learning. The ideas presented in this paper reach from easy lessons in standard software for lower secondary schools up to programming tasks for University students. The paper will also report on the project “Brain-based Informatics” that aims at improving the learning outcomes of a Java programming course at Klagenfurt University which normally has a high failing rate. The results of the mean-time evaluation show the interest and acceptance of the created booklet as well as the wish for more brainbased exercises. Keywords: Computer science, technology, research projects, foreign languages, brain-based learning, informatics, interdisciplinary learning, Java programming.

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INTRODUCTION

When computer science and foreign languages meet this may have many benefits for both subjects. The possibilities of cooperation and interdisciplinary learning are numerous. The “meeting” of computer science and foreign languages can occur on several levels and may focus on three priorities: - Computer science or informatics where the core concepts of informatics are taught by creating useful applications for language learning or language learning methods are applied in informatics; - Foreign language learning supported by ICT (Information and Communication Technology) or methods of informatics like UML (Uniform Modelling Language); and - Interdisciplinary learning, mainly projects, where the learning contents of both subjects have equal relevance and two or more teachers and/or classes can cooperate. This paper will show examples for all three purposes concentrating always on the contents of computer science. It will also report on "Brain-based Informatics", an on-going project at Klagenfurt University that aims at enhancing the learning outcomes of a Java programming course that normally has a high failing rate. Some interdisciplinary examples of this course will be presented as well as the results of a half-time evaluation. The final results will be available only at the date of the conference and will be presented in another paper.

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MOTIVATION

In Austria the contents as well as the semester hours of the different subjects around computer science like informatics, applied informatics, information and office management etc. vary very much depending on the different school types and grades. In lower secondary schools and in some vocational schools with economical orientation informatics is dedicated mainly to user software like office packages and ECDL (European Computer Driving License) or image processing software. Programming and other main topics of computer science are taught in some grammar and vocational schools and informatics as a technical discipline is offered only in some vocational schools with technical orientation.

Proceedings of INTED2012 Conference. 5th-7th March 2012, Valencia, Spain.

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ISBN: 978-84-615-5563-5

Therefore, and certainly because of individual interests, mainly in higher secondary and vocational schools the informatics classes are very heterogeneous. This fact must be considered also in the design of the daily lessons and can be a gain, when the different talents and competences are integrated. Traditional lessons where all pupils have to learn the same topics and do the same exercises may be unsatisfying for pupils with high or low previous knowledge and competences. In this case we need other methods that are demanded by neurodidactics, too: We should offer a classroom setting that allows personalized, self-organized, problem- and competence-oriented learning and fosters soft-skills like team spirit, creativity, problem-solving, communication skills etc. [1]. In my opinion, these methods and skills can be applied respectively lernend best in interdisciplinary projects. The ideas presented in the next pages are born in my work as informatics and foreign language teacher. Most of them were put into practice in a vocational school in Austria with touristic orientation and emphasis on foreign languages. For applying the following ideas in language lessons, it is not necessary that the language teacher is informatics teacher, too. Many classes have their own "computer specialists" among the pupils, for whom interdisciplinary tasks and projects could be interesting. So why not use these talents and create language exercises and games that may be funny and motivating? The pupils like showing their talents and if not, also cooperation with informatics teachers is possible.

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WHERE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES MEET Models and Diagrams in Language Learning

Models and diagrams are an important part of software engineering and computer science. They are used to visualize states, processes etc. including activities, actors or statements etc. A well-known visual modelling language is UML, the Unified Modeling Language, which is normally used in the field object-oriented programming. UML diagrams can represent two views of a model: a static or structural view and a dynamic or behavioural view and both are relevant for foreign languages, too. Whereas a static model can be used to describe locations, states, pictures or lexical fields, a dynamic model can visualize actions or dialogues. The following figure shows a static class diagram containing Spanish animals that visualizes the principle of inheritance in the programming language Java. The same diagram can be used in two subjects with different purpose: In computer science the example of the animals can be given as introduction to the inheritance in object-oriented programming. In Spanish the diagram can serve as example for working on word fields. Following this model, pupils can create other diagrams for different word fields like plants or vehicles etc.

Fig. 1 Class diagram “Animal”

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Class diagrams normally are more complex. They show the classes of the system, their interrelationships (including inheritance, aggregation, and association), and the operations and attributes of the classes. Each class consists of three parts: The upper part holds the name of the class, the middle part the attributes with data types and the bottom part shows the methods or operations the class can take or undertake. Fig. 2 shows the abstract class “Vehiculo” (vehicle) with two subclasses “Auto” (car) and “Camioneta” (truck). The attributes given in the middle part serve to describe the class.

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Fig. 2 Class diagram “Vehiculo”

When the diagram is used for language learning the attributes can be nouns like in the example (dueño – owner, puertas – doors, etc.) or also adjectives. Corresponding to the methods and operations in the bottom part the language learner will write there verbs. An entity-relationship model (ER-model) is an abstract and conceptual representation of data. It is a modeling method that describes entities, their attributes and relationships to other entities. An entity is an object or a concept about which information shall be stored. Each entitiy is defined by attributes, which contain its characteristics, and relationships that illustrate how the entities share the information. The essential parts of an ER-diagram are the following three: Relation

Entity

Attribute

The following example shows the two entities Author and Book with their attributes and the relationship “writes” between them. ID

ISBN

Name

Author

writes

Book

Address

Title

Genre

Fig. 3 ER-diagram “Authors and Books”

According to this example many lexical fields as well as situations can be described in language lessons by using nouns instead of entities, verbs instead of relations and adjectives instead of 2

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attributes. Diagrams created in this way can serve also as a base for diaglogues or other oral exercises. Diagrams that represent actions or processes like flowcharts can also visualize dialogues. The following figures show two examples, one for Spanish, one for English as a foreign language. In computer science they can serve as a base for discovery learning, an effective learning method that satisfies some principles of neurodidactics. [1, 2, 3, 4] Based on actions and decisions of real life (in the following examples a non working lamp and the way to school), that pupils can easily comprehend, they can work out the structure, elements and rules of flowcharts.

Fig. 4 Flowchart “Lámpara”

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Fig. 5 Flowchart “Way to school”

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Programming Languages as Foreign Languages

Like natural languages also programming languages have their own vocabulary, syntax and semantics. So, why shall we not learn them with methods, exercises or games normally used in foreign language learning? A very useful educational website for teachers as well as for learners of all subjects is Quia at www.quia.com. It offers many templates for creating online activities (exercises, games and quizzes), online surveys, and class web pages with automatic grading as well as access to thousands of shared activities. Vocabulary exercises like matching, word search or cloze tests etc. can be easily made online, not only by teachers but also by learners. The following pictures show a cloze test about Internet and a matching game about programming basics.

Fig.6 Cloze test “Internet”

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Fig. 7 Matching “Programming basics”

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The list behind this task on programming basics can be used for further exercises e.g. created in a spreadsheet analysis program like the following Tandem, a task for cooperative learning. Each student gets a different worksheet and has the solution for his/her partner. The student who has the first blank field begins and then they take turns. In the following example Student A has to explain what Programming means. Student B can correct or help him/her and then he/she has to describe Program.

Fig. 8 Tandem “Programming basics”

A similar cooperative method called “pair-programming” is used in programming courses. Pairprogramming is originally used as software development technique where two programmers work side by side on the same program. As mentioned in [5] this is more effective and leads to better results than the programming of only one person. The same method applied in classroom can facilitate programming and enhance the learning outcomes [6]. A motivating method of learning vocabulary is playing cards. There are different variants of games from quiz cards over quartets [1] to another form of matching like the following game about data types. The following figure shows a part of this game where the cards containing data (left part) have to be placed on the fields with the correct data type (right part). Mainly younger pupils like to play it in form of a competition.

Fig. 9 Cards and board of the game “Datatypes” Other games like puzzles or jumbled sentences can be an alternative method of learning syntax and semantics of programming languages. Thes exercises are not only more motivating than traditional programming. They also foster discovery learning, which seems to be more effective than traditional ways of learning. [8] Students are more attentive and active because they can construct their knowledge which is demanded by neurodidactics because: “Knowledge cannot be transferred; it must be newly created in the brain of each student.” [3, 4] An example is shown in figure 10: The jumbled sentences have to be reconstructed to a Java-class containing a recursive method for calculating the power of two numbers. It can be presented alone in order to repeat the principle of recursion but also as introduction by discovery learning when it is 5

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combined with the graphical demonstration of the recursive calculation of the power of the numbers 2 and 3.

public class main(String[] args) { System.out.println else { Power { return 1; }}}}} power(int b, int e) { return b*power(b,e-1); public static int (power(2,4)); public static void if(e == 0) {

Fig. 10 Puzzle “Recursion”

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Designing Foreign Languages Tools and Applications

Language Applications can be created in computer science in all levels from lower secondary schools up to the university. In Austria all pupils have to learn almost one foreign language, so their self-made applications can be useful for them. And when learning products have a purpose and can be used in real situations the motivation and the learning outcomes may be higher. [3, 4] Some language learning tools like vocabulary learning games are already described in [1, 2, 3, 4, 7]. They can be produced already in lower secondary schools where informatics focuses on the use of standard software. Standard software like an office package that should be installed in every school can support language learning in many ways. Text processing software like Word and Google or desktop publishing software like Publisher are very useful for language lessons. They allow creating many different learning products like journals, websites, brochures, cloze tests, text puzzles, picture texts or picture dictionaries etc. Further we can use spreasheets in Excel or Google to write vocabulary lists and design exercises like Tandem for cooperative learning (Fig. 11) or games like Tangoku (also Tandoku), a Sudoko with words (Fig 12), and quiz cards etc. They will be described in another paper that is not yet published. [2]

Fig. 11 Tandem “Famiglia”

Fig. 12 Tandoku “Famiglia”

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The Tandoku can easily be made by substituting the numbers of an existing Sudoku by words or with Tandoku generator like [9]. Some other examples are already described in [3], [4] and [5]. They reach from vocabulary exercises based on vocabulary lists in spreadsheet analysis software, e.g. Matching (Fig. 13), playing cards (Fig. 14), a verb conjugator (Fig. 15) up to interdisciplinary projects like a multilingual dictionary with vocabulary trainer and an Italian Online Course with multimedia elements.

Fig. 13 Matching

Fig. 14 Quartet cards

Fig. 15 Verb conjugator

Some of these exercises require only basic computer skills and can be easily accomplished by the students on their own or by the language teacher. For others more informatics competences are needed, so they can also serve as examples in computer science education or in interdisciplinary projects.

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Interdisciplinary Projects

All interdisciplinary tasks, especially projects, satisfy some neurodidactical principles because they foster cross-over thinking, integrate the students’ interests and talents, foster soft skills like team spirit or problem-solving and have benefits for more than one subject matter. [1] The exercises and tasks described above can also be accomplished in form of interdisciplinary projects or at least as a part of a more extensive project. This will depend certainly on the computer competences of the teacher and the pupils as well as the contents of the curricula of informatics and foreign languages. Some interdisciplinary projects are already described in [1, 2, 3, 4] like an online language course, multilingual multi-media business-card or a multilingual dictionary with vocabulary trainer. They all were accomplished in a vocational school with emphasis on foreign languages in cooperation between language and informatics teachers. The aims in informatics were the revision of basic functions in 7 different software (spreadsheet analysis, database, image processing and a WYSIWYG -web editor) as well as the introduction of complex functions in spreadsheet analysis and database software. Some of the students tested the new multimedia software Mediator instead of using the already known web th editor Dreamweaver. The Mediator was also used by a group of a 4 class (age 17-18 years) in order to create the multi-media business card which obtained a price in a business competition. [1] The tasks can also serve as impetus for programming courses like the “Language Learning Program”, a part of the project “Brain-based Informatics” at Klagenfurt University that will be described in the next chapter.

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THE PROJECT “BRAIN-BASED INFORMATICS”

The project “Brain-based Informatics” has been initiated at Klagenfurt University in order to improve the learning outcomes of a Java-programming course with a normally high failing rate. It has been started in October 2011 and provides the students with additional exercises created on the base of neurodidactical principles. It is described at this point because it contains many exercises and tasks on the base of foreign languages as well as the development of a complex “Language learning program” that could be created as interdisciplinary project as well. The project “Brain-based Informatics” will proceed in three phases: 1. Pilot phase (already in progress) for development and testing of exercises and tasks with a meantime evaluation (winter term 2011/12);

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2. Elaboration of the exercises and solutions as well as development of a self-learning booklet (summer term 2012); 3. Effectiveness study with one or two “brain-based” groups and three or four control groups with traditional setting (winter term 2012/13). In the pilot phase in the on-going semester the worksheets are tested in five parallel practical courses called “Introduction to structured and object-oriented programming”. Additionally to the six obligatory worksheets the students get six voluntary worksheets containing “brain-based” tasks and exercises. They are supposed to post their solutions and comment them in a Moodle forum. All chapters or topics are divided in three parts with different exercise types: •

reading exercises,



programming exercises, and



parts of a complex Java program.

The reading exercises, which contain examples of Java program code and puzzles or cloze tests of Java classes, shall foster Discovery Learning. This is an effective learning method based on an automatic brain function called patterning and allows extracting rules and structures from given examples. [3, 4] All reading exercises and puzzles are accompanied by questions in order to facilitate the exploration of structures and rules. The programming exercises in the second part are created according to the following neurodidactical proposals: •

“Learning must make sense for the learners and shall be embedded in practical situations“. We learn better when we see the purpose of the learning contents and/or really need or can use the created products in our daily life. [10, 3, 4]



“New learning contents have to be linked to existing knowledge and competences.” Like a boat that has to be anchored new learning input has to be connected to existing knowledge and competences because learning occurs by creating new neurons and synapses (connections between neurons).

The last part of each chapter refers to a complex Java-project that has to be elaborated in the course of the semester. It contains tasks and subroutines for a “Language Learning Program”. At the end of the semester the students have to assemble all subroutines to one Java-project. Already Aristotle postulated “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” And this is supported by neurodidactics as well, because the brain learns better when it recognizes the whole and the parts. [11] Vocabulary and texts in foreign languages are provided by a language teacher and an informatics student who had frequented a school with emphasis on foreign languages and English as teaching language. After half of the time and three worksheets, which are composed according to the topics of the obligatory worksheets of the courses, a meantime evaluation has been carried out. The aim was to check if the students accept the additional worksheets, if they help them, if they wish further tasks for which topics.

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SUMMARY

The paper should show how foreign languages and computer science can work together at school or university. The cooperation can focus on three priorities: Computer science, foreign languages or interdisciplinary learning. The ideas presented in this paper reach from easy lessons in standard software for lower secondary schools up to programming tasks for University students. Further the paper reports on the project “Brain-based Informatics” that aims at improving the learning outcomes of a Java programming course at Klagenfurt University. The results of a meantime evaluation on acceptance and utility of the additional exercises created in this project will be available only at the conference date. The feedback of the students until now is quite positive and seems to confirm that additional brain-based exercises are useful and welcome.

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REFERENCES [1]

Sabitzer B.: Informatics + Foreign Language(s) = COOL (Cooperative Open Learning). In: I. Candel Torres, L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez (Hrsg.): ICERI 2011, 4th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Madrid (Spain) 14-16th Nov., 2011, Proceedings CD. Barcelona: International Association of Technology, Education and Development (IATED), 2011, 9 pp. 1373-1381.

[2]

Sabitzer, B. (in-press). Language Learning and Computer Science - COOL Ideas for Technology Enhanced Interdisciplinary Learning. TECH-EDUCA 2012 Proceedings.

[3]

Sabitzer, B. (2011). Neurodidactics: Brain-based Ideas for ICT and Computer Science Education, The International Journal Of Learning, Common Ground Publishing, Volume 18, Issue 2 167-178.

[4]

Sabitzer B.: Neurodidactics – A New Stimulus in ICT and Computer Science Education. In: L. Gómez Chova, I. Candel Torres, A. López Martìnez (Hrsg.): INTED 2011 Proceedings CD. Barcelona: International Association of Technology, Education and Development (IATED), March 2011, pp. 5881-5889.

[5]

Goosen, L. (2008). The effect of incorporating cooperative learning principles in pair programming for student teachers. Computer Science Education, 18:4, pp. 247-260. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08993400802461396.

[6]

McDowell, C.; Werner, L.L.; Bullock, H.E.; Fernald, J. (2003). The Impact of Pair Programming on Student Performance, Perception and Persistence. Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE’03). Available at: http://users.soe.ucsc.edu/~charlie/pubs/sigcse2002.pdf.

[7]

Sabitzer, B. (2011). Informatics Meets Foreign Languages - COOL Ideas for Interdisciplinary Learning. Manuscript sumbitted for publication.

[8]

Baldwin, D. (1996). Discovery learning in computer science. In Proceedings of the twentyseventh SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education (pp. 222 - 226). New York: ACM.Mentz, E.; Van der Walt, J. L.;

[9]

Orschulik, F. (2009). Tandoku Generator. Available at: http://imst.uni-klu.ac.at/imstwiki/index.php/Begriffe_lernen_mit_Tandoku.

[10]

Herrmann, U. (2009). Neurodidaktik: Grundlagen und Vorschläge für gehirngerechtes Lehren und Lernen. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz.

[11]

Caine, R.; Caine, G. Caine Learning Center. Overview of the Systems Principles of Natural Learning. Available at: http://www.cainelearning.com/files/Summary.pdf. Cited: 16 01, 2012.

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