The novice programmers' syndrome of design-by-keyword

Abstract

In the course of reading the description of a given assignment, it is natural that associations with design patterns directly tied to explicit keywords or phrases in the assignment text will evolve. However, explicit keywords may not always be the basis for the desired solution. Implicit cues may yield a better outcome. This paper presents a study of novice programmers who are misguided by explicit keyword associations. The study shows that students' tendency to "design-by-keyword" may sometime lead them to incorrect or inefficient programming solutions. The study displays student solutions to three CSI problems, each answered in three different ways. The first two ways reflect undesirable "design-by-keyword" outcomes, and the third way encloses the desired solution, which demonstrates the importance of looking for implicit cues.