Practice Promotes Learning: Analyzing Students’ Acceptance of a Learning-by-Doing Online Programming Learning Tool

Learning-by-doing is a pedagogical approach that helps in learning skills through practice. An online learning-by-doing tool, CodeLab, has been introduced to students undertaking the digital design and creation bachelor’s degree program at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. The tool has been used to facilitate and engage students, not well-acquainted with problem-solving techniques, in an introductory programming course. The aim of this study was to examine the factors that play vital roles in students’ acceptance of learning-by-doing tools that facilitate the development of problem-solving skills. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and the Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was used for this purpose and extended by adding the factor of motivation, which is essential for educational contexts. The results highlight that there is a strong relationship between acceptance and motivation, implying that students would use online learning-by-doing tools, such as CodeLab, depending on the amount of motivation and engagement while practicing the learning activities. A positive relationship between motivation and acceptance clearly supports the primary aim of using learning-by-doing tools in problem-solving courses.