Usability analysis of a block-based programming interface for teaching and learning programming in mobile devices

Roberto Bacani Figueroa Jr. and Emely Amoloza
University of the Philippines Open University
Los Baños, the Philippines

A previous study looked at the use of a graphical programming interface as a tool that could be utilized for reducing programming anxiety and increasing perceived learning among distance learners in an introductory programming course. This interface, called blockly, allows users to drag code blocks to write programs. A syllabus was designed and implemented to incorporate blockly in a course that aims to teach the basic concepts of programming to students who are majoring in multimedia studies at the University of the Philippines Open University. Two platforms that implement blockly were included in the students’ activities, and the results showed that programming anxiety was reduced among them. The study also considered future applications of the tools, especially for schools that have a limited amount of desktop computers. The draggable nature of blocks showed potential for teaching introductory programming to students using tablet computers or mobile phones. The country’s recent projects for improving public schools that lack desktop computers by supplying tablet computers opened up more possibilities for programming to be taught through these mobile devices.

However, the level of usability of these tools needs to be measured so that future pedagogies and curricula that feature mobile programming will achieve greater success. Also, an instrument for measuring the usability of these platforms in mobile devices should be established in the context of the target learners. This paper seeks to answer this need by applying the System Usability Scale to measure the usability of these platforms among learners who access them using mobile devices. The results of this study will be helpful for educators who are planning to teach programming using blockly in tablet computer laboratories and classrooms. Furthermore, this will also help distance educators to plan their programming curricula to accommodate online learners who use mobile devices in accessing their courses, thereby making these courses mobile-friendly and ubiquitous.