隨著 Python 程式設計在各領域應用廣泛，各大學強化程式教育，但對於非資訊專業學生的學習成效仍缺乏深入研究，本研究旨在探討資訊共通職能如何影響學科先備知能對資訊程式設計能力之學習表現。以南部某醫學大學 111 學年度第一學期修習 Python 程式設計之大一學生 202 人作為研究對象，以學生之英文、數學及自然學測成績作為學科先備知能表現，並採用具備優良信效度之「UCAN 資訊共通職能量表」以及良好試題難易度與鑑別度之「資訊程式設計能力測驗」作為研究工具。本研究之重要發現：（1）由皮爾森積差相關分析可知，變項間具有顯著正向相關（p**< .01），且學科先備知能與資訊程式設計能力為中高度相關（r = .67），資訊共通職能顯著中介學科先備知能對資訊程式設計學習表現的影響。（2）以多元線性調節迴歸分析發現，具有較佳數學先備知能的學生，若能加強創新思維更能有效提升資訊程式設計能力（β = 2.17）；較佳自然先備知能的學生，若能加強資訊科技應用則更能有效提升資訊程式設計能力（β =2.03）。綜合以上，在 Python 程式設計課程中，若同時加強資訊共通職能，可有效影響大學生學科先備知能對程式設計的學習表現。研究成果可提供大專校院未來通識課程規劃、程式設計教學與相關政策擬定之參考依據。

Background

General education mainly aims at cultivating college students to have a macro vision, broad mind, open mind, and sound personality. It is expected that college students have innovative thinking, critical argumentation and problem-solving abilities (Wang, 2006). Especially in the current era of information explosion, we need to continuously increase our information knowledge through learning to keep up with the times. As Python programming is widely used in various fields, universities have strengthened programming education, but there is still a lack of in-depth research on the learning outcomes among non-information majors in Python programming. 

Purpose

This case study aims to explore the impact of informational common competency and subject knowledge on programming in a university general course titled "Python Programming". Accordingly, the following research questions were raised. 

1. After the teaching intervention of Python programming course, what was the impact on the relationship between college students' information common competency (problem solving, innovative thinking and information application) and college students' subject knowledge (English, mathematics, nature) to programming ability (basic functions, process control, list sequence, data structure)?

2. After the teaching intervention of Python programming course, what was the impact of the interaction between college students’ information common competency (problem solving, innovative thinking and information application) and subject knowledge (English, mathematics, nature) on programming ability (basic functions, process control, list sequence, data structure)? 

Theoretical Framework

1. The information programming ability and related research

Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1999) proposed Big6 skills as the skills and specific practices required for information programming capabilities. It mainly includes six steps: (1) task definition, (2) information seeking strategies, (3) location and access, (4) use of information, (5) synthesis, and (6) evaluation. Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1999) stated that the Big6 information problem-solving abilities attach great importance to students' prior knowledge when solving problems, and believed that in the task definition step, students need to be able to identify the scope of information that the problem may cover in order to define the problem. Only by understanding the fields and types of knowledge can we correctly and clearly define problems and set tasks. Big6 skills have the following characteristics: (1) Information and technology literacy teaching materials are integrated into the curriculum, which are suitable for various fields and subjects and all grades; (2) The steps of Big6 skills are flexible and adaptable; (3) Big6 skills are a step-by-step structure, but not a fixed linear pattern where one step must always follow another; (4) Big6 skills can affect critical thinking ability; (5) Big6 skills is a process and method of mastering the use of information to solve problems; (6) and Information technology of Big6 skills and programming abilities are closely integrated.

2. The information common competency and related research

The Ministry of Education, through inter-departmental meetings, inter-industry human resources directors, and school expert symposiums, commissioned the Industrial Technology Research Institute to build University Career & Competency Assessment Network (UCAN) to assess common competency of college students. Common competency represents the abilities required to engage in various career types, including eight important core abilities: communication and expression, continuous learning, interpersonal interaction, teamwork, and problem solving, innovation, work responsibility and discipline, and information technology application. The reliability and content validity of UCAN scale is good (Yang, 2014). Under the framework of information literacy, Lu et al. (2024) integrated the three core competencies of problem solving, innovative thinking, and information technology application in UCAN common competency into "information common competency" and found that students’ abilities improved through the teaching intervention of Python programming course. "Problem Solving" and "Innovative Thinking" can significantly mediate the relationship between "Information Ability" and "Information Application", which means that when students have better problem solving and innovative thinking, they can more effectively apply information ability to in daily life. Information programming ability is closely related to the six skills of Big6 information problem-solving ability and also the key to whether students can flexibly use information knowledge and skills. 

Design/Methods

Based on the above-mentioned information programming literacy and related research, this study puts forward the research hypothesis model that this research wants to explore. The aim of this study is to understand the impact of information common competency and subject knowledge to programming ability. The participants of this study were 202 college students who had taken the general course “Python programing” at a medical university in the fall semester of 2022. The “Information programming Test" was designed with good test difficulty and discrimination and included four parts: (1) basic functions, (2) process control, (3) list sequence, and (4) data structure. The "Information Common Competency Questionnaire” (ICCQ) used in this study has excellent reliability and validity and included items that measured (1) problem solving, (2) innovative thinking, and (3) information application. A five-point Likert scale was employed on the ICCQ, and pre- and post-tests were conducted to evaluate learning effectiveness.

Results

There are two important findings in this study:

(1) Students' information common competency significantly mediates the impact of subject knowledge on information programming learning performance. If teachers can strengthen students' information common competency during the teaching process, they can help students effectively apply their subject knowledge to the study of Python programming to improve their learning performance in programming abilities.

(2) Multiple linear adjusted regression analysis found that students with better mathematical and natural knowledge can effectively improve their learning performance in Python programming if they can strengthen their innovative thinking ability and information application ability.

Conclusion

By studying the relationship between information common competency, subject knowledge, and Python programming performance among college students, investigators can gain crucial insights that will inform the planning of general education curricula, school information research, and the development of related policies at colleges and universities. 

通識課程; 資訊共通職能; 學科先備知能; Python 程式設計

general course; information common competency; subject knowledge; Python programming