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Introduction
Publications
Publications (50)
The end-user paradox and the illusion of digital prosperity reveal the contradictory situation in which both non-professional and professional computer scientists and engineers seem satisfied with digital development but unaware of the magnitude of waste generated by end-users and their digital artifacts. To measure this waste and to reveal end-use...
The paper presents the details of a four-year project to test the effectiveness of teaching spread-sheeting with spreadsheet programming, instead of the traditional, widely accepted surface approach methods. The novel method applied in the project, entitled Sprego (Spreadsheet Lego), is a concept-based problem-solving approach adapted from the dida...
Previous research proved that teaching spreadsheeting from a programming perspective is much more effective than the widely accepted tool-centered surface approach methods. Spreadsheeting as an introductory programming approach allows students to build up schemata leading to contextualized, concept-based problem-solving. Furthermore, it provides to...
The Faculty of Informatics at the University of Debrecen has been using software (ProgCont) to automatically evaluate programming tasks for almost a decade. The data collected during this period has recently made it possible to carry out various pedagogical studies. These investigations are needed to improve the system's feedback extending the fiel...
The present paper reports the results of testing first year students of Informatics on their algorithmic skills and knowledge transfer abilities in spreadsheet environments. The selection of students plays a crucial role in the project. On the one hand, they have officially finished their spreadsheet training - they know everything - while on the o...
The present paper reports the results of testing first year students of Informatics on their algorithmic skills and knowledge transfer abilities in spreadsheet environments. The selection of students plays a crucial role in the project. On the one hand, they have officially finished their spreadsheet training – they know everything –, while on the...
Based on the Spreadsheet Competency Framework for finance professionals, in the present paper we introduce the Edu-Edition of the Spreadsheet Competency Framework (E2SCF). We claim that building spreadsheet competences should start in education, as early as possible, and this process is a lot more effective if support arrives from expert teachers....
Abstract—We have administered the extended attitude test of
the Testing Algorithmic and Application Skills project (TAaAS)
to reveal the computer problem solving approaches of first year
students of informatics, their expectations considering tertiary
studies, and their relationship with computer sciences/
informatics. The results clearly indicate...
If spreadsheets are not erroneous then who, or what, is? Research has found that end-users are. If end-users are erroneous then why are they? Research has found that responsibility lies with human beings' fast and slow thinking modes and the inappropriate way they use them. If we are aware of this peculiarity of human thinking, then why do we not t...
In this paper we detail how Sprego can be adapted both in mathematics and other school subjects. Sprego is a programming approach in spreadsheet environments, which utilizes the concept of function developed in mathematics classes. Sprego also offers an opportunity to practice and develop knowledge in the subjects of n-ary and composite functions,...
Sprego is a programming tool for novice and end-user programmers within graphical spreadsheet environments. The main idea of Sprego is to use as few general purpose functions as possible, and based on these functions we create multilevel formulas to solve real world programmable spreadsheet problems. Beyond providing the framework for the theoretic...
Faculties of Informatics are facing the problem in Hungary that students starting their tertiary education in Computer Sciences do not have a satisfactory level of algorithmic skills, their knowledge seems superficial, and the dropout rate is extremely high in these courses. We have launched a project to test how students’ algorithmic skills have b...
Absztrakt. Sprego – Spreadsheet Lego – egy olyan programozási eszköz, amely alkalmaz-ható a táblázatkezelés tanítására, ugyanakkor szolgálhat kezdő programozási nyelvként is. A nyelv egyszerűségéből következően a hangsúly a koncepció és az algoritmus megfogal-mazásán van, szemben a kódolási részletekkel, tehát kezdőknek és végfelhasználóknak egyará...
The Testing Algorithmic and Application Skills (TAaAS) project was launched in the 2011/2012 academic year to test first year students of Informatics, focusing on their algorith-mic skills in traditional and non-traditional programming environments, and on the transference of their knowledge of Informatics from secondary to tertiary education. The...
In the present paper, we compare low and high mathability level spreadsheet tools. Firstly, we provide proof that the widely accepted and practiced surface approaches are responsible for error-prone spreadsheet documents. In addition to this, we introduce Sprego, and demonstrate that it is a high mathability level method. We provide examples of how...
Pólya announced his problem solving concept in 1954 in his famous book " How to solve it ". His approach is accepted in mathematics but officially has never reached computer sciences, informatics, especially non-traditional computer related activities. However, we have recently found that his problem solving concept fits perfectly into our typology...
Sprego is a deep approach programming tool in spreadsheet environments. Its main features are a set of general purpose functions, entitled Sprego functions, and the ability to create multilevel functions and formulas built on these functions. Equipped with these tools Sprego can serve as an introductory programming language for programmers and as t...
We argue and provide examples that developing computational thinking is not the privilege of traditional programming environments. Digital competence requires high level of computational thinking, however, recently developed digital tools – hardware and software –, support surface approach computer solving methods, disguised as " user-friendly " en...
Absztrakt A Sprego programozással egy olyan megközelítést és módszert ismertetünk, amelyben az algoritmizálás és a táblázatkezelés együttesen megvalósítható. Az elméleti háttér rövid ismertetését követően, a kiválasztott feladatokon keresztül szemléltetjük, hogy az e-dokumentumok hatékony kezeléséhez, hasonlóan a programozási problémákhoz, mindenké...
Students starting their tertiary studies in Informatics are found to have a low level of algorithmic skills and understanding of programming, which leads to the high number of drop out students and failed semesters during their studies. The students’ low level of programming skills contrasts with their excellent results in the school leaving exams....
We argue that in educational contexts ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and CS (Computer Sciences) should not be separated. To support our ideas, we present methods related to the minimalist principle with which students with different interests would develop algorithmic skills even in an ICT environment, and this introductory phase w...
University of Debrecen revealed that students start their tertiary studies in programming with a low level of programming knowledge and algorithmic skills. The possible reasons which lead the students to this very unfortunate result were examined. The results of the test were compared to the students' results in the school leaving exams and to thei...
The legends about " user-friendly " and " easy-to-use " birotical tools (computer-related office tools) have been spreading and misleading end-users. This approach has led us to the extremely high number of incorrect documents, causing serious financial losses in the creating, modifying, and retrieving processes. Our research proved that there are...
Digitális világunkban a tradicionális és a nem tradicionális számítógépes tevékenységek – programozás, valamint dokumentumkezelés és információszerzés – eltávolodni látszanak egy-mástól. Míg a tradicionális tevékenységek problémamegoldási módszerei inkább a mély, addig a nem tradicionális tevékenységek szinte kizárólagosan a kevésbé hatékony felüle...
Sprego is a programming tool for novice and end-user programmers within graphical spreadsheet environments. The main idea of Sprego is to use as few general purpose functions as possible, and based on these functions we create multilevel formulas to solve real world programmable spreadsheet problems. Beyond providing the framework for the theoretic...
The different metacognitive approaches to spreadsheet languages can determine the effectiveness of teaching spreadsheet management. We can either stick to the popular but ineffective trial-and-error surface approach methods. Alternatively, we can switch to deep approach metacognitive methods which handle spreadsheets as a programming language and c...
Spreadsheet management is a border-land between office applications and programming, however, it is rather communicated that spreadsheet is nothing more than an easily handled fun piece. Consequently, the complexity of spreadsheet handling, the unprepared end-users, their problem solving abilities and approaches do not match. To overcome these prob...
Faculties of Informatics are facing the problem in Hungary that students starting their tertiary education in Computer Sciences do not have a satisfactory level of algorithmic skills, their knowledge seems superficial, and the dropout rate is extremely high in these courses. We have launched a project to test how students' algorithmic skills have b...
The results of testing the algorithmic skills of the first year students of Informatics of the University of Debrecen is the main concern of this article. It was found that, in general, the students arriving from high schools have not developed algorithmic skills and have false view about Information and Computer Sciences. The most devastating resu...
A 2011/2012-es tanév szeptemberében a Debreceni Egyetem Informatikai Karán útjára indítottuk az Algoritmikus és Alkalmazói Készségek Tesztelése című projektet. Átfogó képet szerettünk volna kapni arról, hogy az Informatikai Karon tanulmányaikat megkezdő hallgatók milyen informatikai ismeretekkel rendelkeznek, és hogyan tudják ezt a szakma nyelvén m...
A Debreceni Egyetem Informatikai Karán tanulmányaikat megkezdő elsőéves hallgatók informatikai ismereteit teszteltük. A tesztben a Nemes Tihamér informatikai verseny 5–8. osztályos tanulóinak kiírt feladatok közül választottuk. Ezekkel az egyszerű feladatokkal a hallgatók alapvető programozási és algoritmizálási készségeit kívántuk mérni. A felméré...
Informatika szakos hallgatók tudására vonatkozó tudásmérés tanári és hallgatói megközelítésben Bevezetés A 2011 szeptemberében indított projektünk során a Debreceni Egyetem Informatikai Karán tanulmányaikat megkezdő hallgatók informatikai ismereteit teszteltük. Ezen projekt keretein belül kiemelt szerepet kapott a hallgatók táblázatkezelési ismeret...
In the academic year of 2011/2012 a program was launched at the Faculty of Informatics of the University of Debrecen, Hungary to test the spreadsheet knowledge of the freshmen. This year and in the following 695 students were tested, altogether. In advance to the academic test a self-assessment test was completed by the students, where on a 0-5 Lik...
The spread of IWB (Interactive WhiteBoard) around the world changes, reforms and modernizes the traditional teaching methods. We can find these new ICT devices in more and more schools in Hungary as well and the use of it is getting widespread in every day teaching. The teachers have the greatest role in the proper use of IWB during the lessons and...
Thanks to the applications more and more IWBs are available for the institutions in Hungary. The most active and enthusiastic teachers who are ready for the latest challenges start to use the technical devices at once, they learn to use it and apply it in their everyday education. The aim of the research is to get a picture of active IWB users' opi...
The spread of Interactive Whiteboards in Hungary has made students more curious, interested and motivated. The new digital generation claims reform and besides the traditional education they need digital material, extra knowledge since it is much easier to access extra information in connection with a particular curriculum. They spend a lot of time...
Absztrakt: Dolgozatomban bemutatom a számítógépnek az oktatásban való felhasználási lehetőségeit, a fejlődés gyorsaságának a hatását az oktatásra, a különböző tantárgyak asszimilálásának szerepét, fontosságát, illetve az egyéves tanítási gyakorlatom során levont pozitív és negatív következtetéseket.