BlueJ-UML: Learning Object-Oriented Programming Paradigm using Interactive Programming Environment
Abstract
Most of the students coming from various different backgrounds find software programming a difficult subject to learn and master, especially in learning the concept of objectoriented programming. Because they must be able to model physical beings into virtualized objects and define complex object relationships in their designs for object interactions in a very abstract fashion that is not easily understood. This study is an attempt to introduce a unique interactive learning platform to students learning Java programming, which was designed with a set of object-oriented programming pedagogical considerations in mind. This study further extends and enhances with modeldriven software development technique, such that to supporting unified modelling language (UML) class diagrams and code fragments generation in order to ease the learning needs of students, a unique way to learn fundamental programming concepts. This paper introduces a new online interactive platform and environment called BlueJ-UML, which is to help students to learn and practice object-oriented programming in class. It also evaluates the success outcome of the proposed new learning method through a Technology Acceptance Model Framework, and that followed by a comprehensive statistical analysis to assess improved academic performance of the students. The result was encouraging: student programming capability had been significantly elevated and was positively correlated to their overall perception and adoption of this new technique introduced in the class. Index Terms-Interactive Programming Environment, Objectoriented Programming, Technology Acceptance Model, Online Platform and Environment view of class diagram for a project of java source, however it does not offer a clear connection between modelling to implementation and lacks details for student to apprehend the fundamental basis of object abstraction. This study develops an extended teaching tool based on BlueJ, called BlueJ-UML, that extends and enhances the original BlueJ platform, and to strengthen this weak connection and provide a valid pedagogical approach for novices to master the basic ideas of system design. According to UML specification