Learning to program = learning to construct mechanisms and explanations

Abstract

Teaching effective problem-solving skills in the context of teaching programming necessitates a revised curriculum for introductory computer programming courses.

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

“…Experts know much more than syntax and semantics [17,18]. These stereotypical solutions to problems as well as the strategies for using them must be explicitly taught to the students [1] either by human or artificial tutors.…”

“…Computer programming is one of the major challenges in computing education [1,2]. It is a composition-based task that imposes major problems to novices [1].…”

“…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].…”

A Review of Australasian Investigations into Problem Solving and the Novice Programmer

“…Programming strategies are made up of plans (Soloway, 1986) (or schema or patterns) and the associated means of incorporating these into a single solution. Robins et al portray strategies as being important but ill-defined in literature.…”

“…For example, experts and novices can be distinguished by how they undertake comprehension (Brooks, 1983) or generation (Rist, 1995). During program generation an expert can rely on a tacit body of programming plans developed through solving past problems (Soloway, 1986) while a novice has traditionally been expected to conceive and apply plans, with varying degrees of success (Rist, 1991). The distinction of expertise by use of strategy is suggested by Bailie (1991, p. 277): "one feature clearly distinguishing the novice from the expert programmer is the ability to plan."…”