Learning and Teaching Programming: A Review and Discussion

Abstract

In this paper we review the literature relating to the psychological/educational study of programming. We identify general trends comparing novice and expert programmers, programming knowledge and strategies, program generation and comprehension, and objectoriented versus procedural programming. (We do not cover research relating specifically to other programming styles.) The main focus of the review is on novice programming and topics relating to novice teaching and learning. Various problems experienced by novices are identified, including issues relating to basic program design, to algorithmic complexity in certain language features, to the ''fragility'' of novice knowledge, and so on. We summarise this material and suggest some practical implications for teachers. We suggest that a key issue that emerges is the distinction between effective and ineffective novices. What characterises effective novices? Is it possible to identify the specific deficits of ineffective novices and help them to become effective learners of programming?

Addressing drop-out and sustained effort issues with large practical groups using an automated delivery and assessment system

“…now is being used in other educational areas including engineering education and, more specifically, computer programming courses (Robins, Rountree, & Rountree, 2003).…”

“…However, learning to write computer programs is recognized to be a challenging subject for students due to the required logical thinking and the implied abstract concepts (Milne & Rowe, 2002;Robins et al, 2003;White & Sivitanides, 2002). Programming also poses a challenge to instructors because of the difficulty of grading student code in a fair and time-efficient manner (Cheang, 2003;Higgins, Gray, Symeonidis, & Tsintsifas, 2005).…”

Persistence of elementary programming skills

“…In a model-based programming course, by definition, conceptual modelling plays the most important role. The progression of the course in play is defined not by the syntactical structure of the programming language, as is usually the case (Robins, Rountree, & Rountree, 2003), but by the complexity of specification models, i.e. class models and (informal) functional specifications of methods.…”

Enhanced JavaScript Learning Using Code Quality Tools and a Rule-Based System in the FLIP Exploratory Learning Environment

“…It is a composition-based task that imposes major problems to novices [1]. Students at that stage may suffer from a wide range of difficulties and deficits [3] which consequently can have a negative impact in their studies and their future career choices [3].…”