{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T21:11:53Z","timestamp":1774473113633,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]],"date-time":"2025-08-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754611200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002338","name":"Collaborative Education Project of the Ministry of Education of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["220903880215602"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["220903880215602"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002338","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002338","name":"Collaborative Education Project of the Ministry of Education of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["jg2024046"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["jg2024046"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002338","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100007958","name":"Teaching Research and Reform Project of Wenzhou University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["220903880215602"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["220903880215602"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100007958","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100007958","name":"Teaching Research and Reform Project of Wenzhou University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["jg2024046"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["jg2024046"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100007958","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Computers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>As an introductory core course in computer science and related fields, \u201cFundamentals of Programming\u201d has always faced many challenges in stimulating students\u2019 interest in learning and cultivating their practical coding abilities. The traditional teaching model often fails to effectively connect theoretical knowledge with practical applications, resulting in a low retention rate of students\u2019 learning and a weak ability to solve practical problems. Digital twin (DT) technology offers a novel approach to addressing these challenges by creating dynamic, virtual replicas of physical systems with real-time, interactive capabilities. This study explores DT integration in programming teaching and its impact on learning engagement (behavioral, cognitive, emotional) and skill acquisition (syntax, algorithm design, debugging). A quasi-experimental design was employed to study 135 first-year undergraduate students, divided into an experimental group (n = 90) using a DT-based learning environment and a control group (n = 45) receiving traditional instruction. Quantitative data analysis was conducted on participation surveys, planning evaluations, and qualitative feedback. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the DT group exhibited a higher level of sustained participation (p &lt; 0.01) and achieved better results in actual coding tasks (p &lt; 0.05). Students with limited coding experience showed the most significant progress in algorithmic thinking. The findings highlight that digital twin technology significantly enhances engagement and skill acquisition in introductory programming, particularly benefiting novice learners through immersive, theory-aligned experiences. This study establishes a new paradigm for introductory programming education by addressing two critical gaps in digital twin applications: (1) differential effects on students with varying prior knowledge (engagement\/skill acquisition) and (2) pedagogical mechanisms in conceptual visualization and authentic context creation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/computers14080322","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]],"date-time":"2025-08-08T15:30:52Z","timestamp":1754667052000},"page":"322","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Digital Twin-Enhanced Programming Education: An Empirical Study on Learning Engagement and Skill Acquisition"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5003-7432","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ming","family":"Lu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China"}]},{"given":"Zhongyi","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nicolajsen, S.M., Nielsen, S., Carlsen, L.M., and Brabrand, C. 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