Communicative Approach to Teaching Programming with Focus on Project-Based Learning

Vaclav      Vrbik; Jan      Hodinar

Abstract

The content and quality of teaching were already subjected to many theoretical researches. There is a constant need to improve the quality of education, which means better learning and teaching experience for both students and teachers. The purpose of this paper is to give basic information, and applicable examples, about methods used in communicative approach to teaching, while teaching programming. One of these methods is a project-based learning and this paper dedicates a significant part to it. The communicative approach to teaching (CAT) is based on applying the knowledge in a real context. It is achieved by optimization of the amount and retention of knowledge, and the character of subject matter, which is achieved by the higher motivation of students. The communicative approach to teaching supports the general development of instructional ability of students, independent and cooperative solving of problems and last but not least the object teaching. The centre core of CAT is created by methods which use mainly communication during classes, together with solving problems in pairs and in groups, and processes that involve the independent solving of problems. In this paper, we suggest applying the CAT method (with a partial patent description), mainly used in teaching foreign languages, to teaching programming by means of the Delphi programming language.

Keywords: Communicative approach, computer programming, Delphi, object, pascal, programming languages, project-based learning, Object Oriented Approach, Dialogic Methods, Heuristic Methods