Develop Programming Skills Research Articles

A games-based approach for teaching the introductory programming course

Introductory programming courses in computer science aim at building an effective foundation for the development of programming skills. A prudent way to develop these skills is by emphasizing problem solving and logical thinking. This paper proposes a games-based approach, as a way of engaging students and developing these skills. Common mistakes of novice programmers in traditional courses are summarized. Word and number games are used to illustrate the potential benefits of a games-based approach, which minimizes such mistakes.

Teaching of programming in advanced course of informatics

Teaching of programming in secondary school raises some problems: how to teach program­ming, which language and environment to choose, what kinds of tasks to prepare, etc. The paper deals with these questions. The objective and component programming are briefly described as the most suitable for developing programming skills of students. The stages in teaching of prog­ramming are analyzed: basic computer skills, basic knowledge in programming, and developing of programs.

Using visualization to aid program construction tasks

This paper discusses how novices exposed to an execution model of recursion (similar to an expert's mental model and visualised in the EROSI tutor) performed on the task of constructing an embedded recursive solution to a given problem specification. Empirical observations showed that after using the EROSI tutor, novices employed a variety of methods during program construction including the use of their understanding of the execution process of recursion from their visualisation experiences. Using our findings we provide some useful suggestions to inform teaching practice. We conclude that when teaching about recursion: visualising program execution models can be a useful aid to program construction, by providing a mental framework for reasoning about the behaviour of program code fragments both before and after coding; visualisation methods may not always be a sufficient condition for developing programming skills; and the teaching of techniques for program construction may be necessary.

SAS Programming by Example

Develop and fine-tune your programming skills the easy way--by example! For beginning or intermediate users, this book serves as a guide, using a series of annotated examples, through basic tasks to more complex ones. Problems and solutions are provided to help you make the most of the programming tools available in Base SAS software. Conversational in tone, the book is useful both as a tutorial for learning programming and as a convenient quick-reference filled with tips and strategies for solving your programming problems. Among the clearly explained examples are models that show you how to build SAS data sets, use SAS functions for data translation, program more efficiently, relate information from multiple sources, and chart and plot data. You will also learn to work with SAS date values, produce descriptive and summary statistics, and write reports.

Integrative assignments for CS1 and CS2 through libraries of abstract data types

As a way to avoid quick student concentration on implementation and computer language issues we have elaborated an integrative set of programming assignments for CS1 and CS2 courses.Our strategy relies on a top-down methodology to develop programming skills and problem-solving capabilities through the use of libraries with high-level Abstract Data Types (ADT). In a first medium-size assignment the novice programmer experiences high-level modular programming, and at a later stage the student is addressed to lower-level programming and data structure concerns.Ada has been used as the programming language, mainly because of its built-in capabilities to use and define reusable libraries of ADTs.Results indicate that this arrangement of assignments successfully reinforces the learning of fundamental concepts such as program design, modularity, testing techniques and increases student satisfaction.

An environment for initial software engineering teaching

The teaching of software engineering* skills is traditionally seen as an activity which follows the acquisition of the ability to ‘program’. It is proposed that initial software engineering skills can be taught in conjunction with the development of programming skills, by providing a problem-oriented curriculum based on the use of notations to describe ‘things’. This approach is enhanced if a high degree of integration exists between the concepts and principles introduced to the learner during the study of notations and the organisation of the software development system used for the application of those concepts and principles. In this paper we argue first that initial software engineering skills can be introduced at an early stage so that fundamental and general principles can be applied as soon as possible. Secondly, we argue that a practical environment can be organised which builds directly on, and which exemplifies, the same principles. The approach described provides the learner with a model of systematic software development that is transferable, in whole or part, to conventional less regular, unfamiliar or novel environments.

Computing education for secondary school teachers

The proposed program will establish a Computer Education Institute for computing, mathematics, and science teachers and supervisors in grade 7 to 12. The goals of the program are to: (1) provide teachers with a knowledge of programming in BASIC, and conceptual foundations of computer programming, (2) inform teachers of the variety of uses of computers in teaching science and mathematics, (3) provide an opportunity to observe and interact with youngsters as they learn to program, (4) establish a focus for teachers' future needs in computer education through contact with qualified scientists, and (5) develop and update teachers' knowledge about computers in society. The objectives will be accomplished through enrollment during a six-week summer session in a Structured Programming seminar and a Computer Education seminar. Intensive practice in a computer lab will develop programming skills. During the fall semester, four Guest Speaker Seminars will be held to provide nationally recognized experts as a resource. These meetings will also provide the program participants an opportunity to discuss their own implementation progress with the Institute staff.