Studying the Novice Programmer

Parallel to the growth of computer usage in society is the growth of programming instruction in schools. This informative volume unites a wide range of perspectives on the study of novice programmers that will not only inform readers of empirical findings, but will also provide insights into how novices reason and solve problems within complex domains. The large variety of methodologies found in these studies helps to improve programming instruction and makes this an invaluable reference for researchers planning studies of their own. Topics discussed include historical perspectives, transfer, learning, bugs, and programming environments.

Parallel to the growth of computer usage in society is the growth of programming instruction in schools. This informative volume unites a wide range of perspectives on the study of novice programmers that will not only inform readers of empirical findings, but will also provide insights into how novices reason and solve problems within complex domains. The large variety of methodologies found in these studies helps to improve programming instruction and makes this an invaluable reference for researchers planning studies of their own. Topics discussed include historical perspectives, transfer, learning, bugs, and programming environments.

Contents: Part I:Early WorkS. Papert, C. Solomon, Twenty Things to do With a Computer. S. Papert, Teaching Children Thinking. Part II:Transfer.A. M. Howe, P. M. Ross, K. R. Johnson, F. Plane, R. Inglis, Teaching Mathematics Through Programming in the Classroom. M. C. Linn, J. Dalbey, Cognitive Consequences of Programming Instruction. D. M. Kurland, R. D. Pea, A Study of the Development of Programming Ability and Thinking Skills in High School Students. R. E. Mayer, J. L. Dyck, W. Vilberg, Learning to Program and Learning to Think: What's the Connection? Part III:Learning Programming ConceptsR. E. Mayer, The Psychology of How Novices Learn Computer Programming. R. Samurcay, The Concept of Variable in Programming: Its Mean- ing and Use in Problem Solving by Novice Programmers. J. M. Hoc, Do We Really Have Conditional Statements in our Brains? E. Soloway, J. Bonar, Cognitive Strategies and Looping Constructs: An Empirical Study. H. Kahney, What Do Novice Programmers Know About Recursion? C. M. Kessler, J. R. Anderson, Learning Flow of Control: Recursive and Iterative Procedures. D. N. Perkins, C. Hancock, R. Hobbs, F. Martin, R. Simmons, Conditions of Learning in Novice Programmers. Part IV:Difficulties, Misconceptions and Bugs.B. Du Boulay, Some Difficulties of Learning to Program. R. T. Putnam, D. Sleeman, J. A. Baxter, L. K. Kuspa, A Summary of Misconceptions of High School Basic Programmers. D.M. Kurland, R.D. Pea, Children's Mental Models of Recursive Logo Programs. J. Bonar, E. Soloway, Pre-Programming Knowledge: A Major Source of Misconceptions in Novice Programmers. J. C. Spohrer, E. Soloway, E. Pope, Goal/Plan Analysis of Buggy Pascal Programs. J. C. Spohrer, E. Soloway, Novice Mistakes: Are the Folk Wisdoms Correct? Part V:Designing Programming EnvironmentsN. Cunniff, R.P. Taylor, J.B. Black, Does Programming Language Affect the Type of Conceptual Bugs in Beginner's Programs? A Comparison of FPL and Pascal. B. DuBoulav, T. O'Shea, J. Monk, The Black Box Inside the Glass Box: Presenting Computing Concepts to Novices. M. Eisenstadt, M. Brayshaw, An Integrated Textbook Video and Software Environment for Novice and Expert Prolog Programmers. A.A. diSessa, H. Abelson, BOXER: A Reconstructible Computational Medium.