ToolboX

ToolboX is an integrated development environment designed to introduce computer programming in academic subjects with originally no competences in this matter. Its design is based on the premise that, when solving a problem, a student performs a sequence of computations (i.e., proceeds in an algorithmic way), that can be expressed in a computer language, similarly to how it is done on a notebook or blackboard. Besides the environment and the academic contents, ToolboX compiles students' usage data and process it by means of big data algorithms based on artificial intelligence (just in the Andalusian region, a million students have access to this tool, after being integrated in the Guadalinex and Guadalinfo repositories). These techniques perform knowledge acquisition about the students community, that can be used afterwards to improve teaching and resource planning. As examples of this knowledge, gifted students, ADHD and dyslexia can be prediagnosed. Functioning ToolboX is a didactic resource that teachers can use at the classroom or in the computer room. When the program is launched, it shows a simple development environment, made of a command window, a text editor to write the program, and an optional graphic window. After choosing a problem list, the student must solve each of them by writing a program. It also provides help commands (to be executed in the command window) and other commands for debugging and running the program. When the solution computed by the program is correct, it shows the next problem, until the whole list is completed. The programming language used is GNU Octave, for being a scientific programming language, widely used in education, science and engineering.