Designing R Documentation to Support Mapping and Subsequent Learning

• In Event: Postsecondary Learners in Computing and Engineering Education

Abstract

As novice programmers take on increasingly challenging programming tasks beyond the scope of formal instruction, they need resources that can help them tackle specific programming problems at hand, one of which they frequently rely on is programming documentation. However, programming documentation may not be currently designed to best support learning. In the current study, we investigated if using theories in analogical mapping, alignment, and cognitive load to redesign the structure of documentation can facilitate novice programmers’ learning. Results showed that students who used the redesigned documentation achieved better learning outcomes than students who used the business-as-usual version commonly used in the R programming community. The theoretical implication and real-world applications of the study are discussed.

Authors

• Icy Yunyi Zhang, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Xiaoxuan Cheng, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yunqi Jia, University of California - Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Author

• James W. Stigler, University of California - Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Author