Active participation of integrated development environments in the teaching of object-oriented programming

Abstract

With the strong link between programming and the underlying technology, the incorporation of computer technology into the teaching of a programming language course should be a natural progression. However, the abstract nature of programming can make such integration a difficult prospect to achieve. As a result, the main development tool, the Integrated Development Environment, generally takes a passive role during the learning process. These software environments play a pivotal role in the development process and so should perform a more active role in the overall academic process. This paper describes the pronounced D-Chk system, which is an integrated development environment for the Java language. This system allows tighter integration between the theory and the practical aspects by incorporating several user interface and functionality enhancements.