COOL Programming – Improving Introductory Programming Education through Cooperative Open Learning

COOL is an acronym for Cooperative Open Learning and is part of a teaching approach that uses brain-supporting teaching methods and materials with the goals of reducing drop-out rates and of improving the learning outcomes of introductory programming courses. COOL refers to one crucial principle of the concept: cooperation, including several forms of cooperative learning like peer tutoring, pair programming, and talents exchange. In this paper, we describe the COOL Programming approach, its neurodidactical background, as well as qualitative and quantitative results gained so far at our university. Starting in programming courses of our Business Informatics bachelor program, we have already observed improvements compared to previous years and to reference groups. In the last two terms, we have been able to improve the learning outcomes (exam results) and to reduce drop-out rates.