e-ECLiP: A Web-Based Environment Supporting Exploratory and Collaborative Learning in Programming

ECLiP aims to establish a learning environment which supports students' active involvement, contributes to the knowledge construction and the development of skills in programming through the elaboration of explorative and collaborative activities. In this work, we present the main principles of ECLiP, the three-step process for the design of activities and the e-ECLiP environment. The collaboration is supported either through synchronous or asynchronous communication means. The results from the experimental evaluation of e-ECLiP in the teaching of the loop construct to students of secondary education revealed that the proposed didactical approach and the context of the activities contributed positively in the comprehension of the loop construct and its application in solving simple problems. Also, the study revealed that the supported synchronous communication tool can support students' collaboration and students appreciated the provided facilities.