Improving student knowledge retention for android mini-bootcamps.

Abstract

Bootcamp learning is growing in popularity across a range of software development fields - bootcamps teach a specific skill set intensely over a short period of time. Studies have determined that knowledge retention is an issue with this learning format, and retention is poor when tested thirty days post-bootcamp. Whilst skills development during bootcamps is rapid, bootcamps lack the opportunity for the proper application of these skills to enable effective knowledge retention. Android mini-bootcamps are an understudied subset of the bootcamp format, where the Android app development learning period is restricted to one to two days. This study determined that knowledge retention improved, when students engaged with a specific task, informed by the feature driven software development methodology. This study’s findings have clear implications for bootcamp providers interested in the longevity of their skills enhancement delivered within their bootcamp format. A post-bootcamp ‘phase’ is needed, with a targeted task to apply skills/knowledge gained during the actual bootcamp. Furthermore, this study found that those with existing programming experience demonstrated poorer knowledge retention. This study provides evidence of the knowledge retention issue with Android mini-bootcamps and how the knowledge retention issue can be addressed. The study also recommends investigating links between post-bootcamp tasks and their impact on retaining specific skills/knowledge.