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arXiv · 2512.11735

The Right Kind of Help: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Feedback Methods in Elementary-Level Visual Programming

Ahana Ghosh·Liina Malva·Alkis Gotovos·Danial Hooshyar·Adish Singla
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Abstract

We present a large-scale study comparing the effectiveness of various feedback methods in elementary-level programming. While prior work has explored different feedback methods, their relative impact during the learning and post-learning phases remains unclear. In this study, we compare three feedback methods: code-edit recommendations (Code-Rec), quizzes based on code edits (Code-Quiz), and quizzes based on metacognitive strategies (Plan-Quiz), along with a no-feedback control (None). A total of 398 students (across grades 4-7) participated in a two-phase study: a learning phase comprising write-code tasks from the Hour of Code: Maze Challenge with feedback, followed by a post-learning phase comprising more advanced write-code tasks without feedback. All feedback methods significantly improved learning performance over the control, while preserving students' problem-solving skills in the post-learning phase. Furthermore, quiz-based methods showed a consistent trend of stronger performance on novel post-learning tasks. Students in feedback groups also reported greater engagement and perceived skill growth.

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Ahana Ghosh, Liina Malva, Alkis Gotovos, Danial Hooshyar, Adish Singla. 2025-12-12. The Right Kind of Help: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Feedback Methods in Elementary-Level Visual Programming. https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.11735

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