Preliminary Study on the Accessibility and Learning Experience of Low-Code Development Platforms

The Computer Science education industry faces challenges in traditional computer science education that depends critically on theoretical programming concepts and application development activities. This learning approach's lack of practical experience can be a hurdle for contemporary computer science students. Hence, this research is to study the integration of multiple tools and approaches, including low code development platforms (LCDP), so educators can empower students, even those without prior programming experience, to actively engage in software development processes and grasp programming concepts quickly. The questionnaire is used in the pilot study. 40 sets of questionnaires were distributed to the computing students, and 37 (92.5%) respondents completed the questionnaires. This research uses the descriptive technique to assess the computing students' responses to the accessibility and learning experience of low-code development platforms. The data analysis findings from the pilot study demonstrated a positive significant learning experience with low-code development platforms, as perceived by the respondents. Findings also show that over two-thirds of the respondents find the learning experience of using low-code platforms is easier than the traditional approach. Therefore, the finding implies that adopting low-code development in tertiary computing education could lead to a significant paradigm shift in how programming is taught and learned.

I. Introduction (Heading 1)

Many students are dropping or skipping programming courses due to several challenging issues [1], [2] such as navigating program development environments, understanding programming structures, learning programming language syntax, designing programs to solve specific tasks, dividing functionality into procedures, and debugging their programs [1]–[3]. Traditional computer science education often emphasizes theoretical concepts, sometimes at the expense of practical experience or real-world projects [1]–[3]. This lack of hands-on experience can cause students to struggle with certain concepts or coding languages, leading to frustration. In response to this, the current digital age is transforming the education system in programming, with educators and students increasingly relying on flipped classrooms, collaborative learning, problem-based learning, adaptive learning, and gamification [4]–[9].