How to motivate chemical engineering undergraduates to learn programming?

Abstract

Claims such as learning programming are difficult, irrelevant and boring are always associated with the students' motivation to learn. Students were not motivated to fully engage with their learning in programming courses. This has become an unpleasant scenario in many engineering programmes including the chemical engineering programmes. So, how can chemical engineering students be motivated to learn programming? A learner-centred environment is believed to help students regulate both their learning and motivation. Learnercentred learning environment focuses on aspects of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that learners bring to the learning process including their motivation to learn. Hence, this paper aims to present a study on the influence of learner-centred environment on chemical engineering undergraduates' motivation towards learning programming. Analysis on observations and interviews was conducted and the findings were discussed. The discovery shows that, instilling the learner-centred elements in programming course for engineering students is essential to create an effective and motivating learning environment.