This contribution reports on four years of iterative refinement of digital learning materials in large online coding classes with cohorts of up to 60 students. Refinements were grounded in systematic observation of how students reasoned during problem-solving and engaged with written task instructions. Students worked with online workbooks structured around orientations, definitions, examples, and progressively challenging exercises. Explanations were intentionally succinct, and most learning time was devoted to problem-solving. Students’ reading processes and subsequent implementation in code were observed in relation to specific task sections. Because the workbooks are divided into numbered units, observed difficulties could be precisely documented and linked to specific passages. Documented issues informed revisions implemented after class, supporting iterative refinement. Analysis of observation notes revealed instances in which wording, structural sequencing, or author-assumed shared understanding contributed to difficulties in understanding. Because the materials were developed within the instructional context, observations directly informed revisions designed to increase precision and reduce ambiguity. Over time, clarification requests decreased, while questions increasingly reflected application, transfer, and synthesis. The findings identify a recurrent tendency in the authoring process to assume that what is clear to the author is equally clear to learners, resulting in instructional ambiguity. Systematic observation of learner thinking during reading and problem-solving enabled its timely identification and iterative revision. Insight into learner thinking thus emerges as a central mechanism for sustained instructional improvement in large online classes.

Authors:
Hanspeter Amend, Independent Researcher, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Hanspeter Amend, Independent Researcher. Interests: instructional design, learner cognition, and digital learning in large online classes. Current project: iterative refinement of online coding workbooks grounded in observation of learner thinking.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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