Factor Analysis to Examine the Effect and Expectation of Reading Simple Source Codes for Improving Programming Skill

Abstract

The authors have developed a programming learning support system based on source code reading, and the primary target of the developed system is novice programming learners. The question of our system requires learners to answer a variable's value after the execution of a presented source code. This paper shows the details of the developed system, and the effect and the expectation of reading simple source codes are examined from the result of its real operation to a basic programming lecture. This paper obtained student responses from questionnaire, after the students had completed one semester of the instruction in programming, and analyzed the data with factor analysis. From the analysis result, it turned out that characteristic factors and these degrees were found.