In this section, we present examples of these. In addition to many mobile applications providing textbook- like static content on programming topics, some also provide interactive elements such as multiple choice questions, Parsons problems, and IDEs designed especially for handheld devices. The numeric range is specified as in the form field type specification of HTML5 3, that is, with minimum and maximum values as well as a step used to increase the value. The supported types are boolean (True, False), comparison operator (, =, =, ! =), math operator (+, −, ∗, / ), logical binary operator (and, or), and numeric range.
Alternatively, only the type of the piece can be specified in which case the options are determined by this.
#TEXTASTIC BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD CODE#
The options for a changeable piece of code can be specified as a list when creating the exercise. A complete example of a partially solved exercise in the mobile application is shown in Figure 6. For example, the partial solution shown in Figure 5 could be constructed from the lines in Figure 4. If the prototype lines can be duplicated, this allows constructing larger solutions with the given selection of prototype lines. That changes the piece to the next option. Learners interact with the changeable parts of the code by tapping (or clicking) them. However, when an exercise is created, a default value can be specified if need be. We did not want to make one of the options show by default, as we felt that would too easily fixate learners on that value. This is in order to help learners think about the possible solutions before starting to change the pieces. Initially, the blocks show only the type of the missing content. An example of a possible set of editable lines for the previously described task of finding the largest item of the three arguments (Figures 1 and 2) is shown in Figure 4. The main difference between MobileParsons and the new type of exercise is that in the latter, the given code fragments can include parts where the learner needs to select a piece of code from a set of options in order to complete the codeline. Figure 3 shows what this feedback looks like. Previously, no execution-based feedback was available in MobileParsons but this feature was added as part of the extension we implemented. However, in order to discourage trial-and-error behavior, feedback is automatically disabled for a period of time if used too frequently. Feedback is given whenever requested by the student. Python code is executed in-browser using the Skulpt library 2, a JavaScript implementation of Python. Feedback is given to the student as failed/passed asser- tions. In execution-based feedback, the code is executed and run against predefined tests.
For this feedback to be possible, there needs to only exist a single correct arrangement of the given lines. Line-based feedback indicates the lines that should be repositioned. The type of feedback is defined when the exercise is created. In the underlying js-parsons, there are two different types of feedback: line-based and execution-based. Similarly, after requesting feedback, another tab appears on the right which shows the previously requested feedback.
The assignment description is available in a tab on the left. An example of an exercise in MobileParsons is shown in Figure 2. Lines are positioned by drag-and-dropping. In the original MobileParsons, students are to use some of the code given on the left side (in landscape mode) to build a program on the right without forgetting appropriate inden- tation which is significant in Python. We implemented this on top of js-parsons, or more precisely its mobile fork called MobileParsons. we decided to implement a new type of Python exercise that allows limited editing of lines by providing parts where you can toggle (i.e. Speaking of LaTeX, I wonder if that is an available language? It is! And the cut-and paste is not too bad. I think my only concern at this point is the capability to do cut-and paste to include the MathJax code on posts with LaTeX. UPDATE: I found that the interface for moving files back and forth was very easy to use. If I thought to invest in a bluetooth keyboard, I could see this being a serious tool. Typing on the iPad is not fantastic (I still don’t like the compressed touch-screen keyboard so much), but in a pinch I can use this.
More text, with a link, and some emphasis. Textastic has support for various types of code, and includes a preview feature that should handle the markdown used to write these posts. It should let me sync with my dropbox account, hence post to this blog. This is a simple test of Textastic, an iPad app for editing code.