To learn more about the specific nature of the teaching and learning problems involved, researchers conducted a clinical study of 20 high school students enrolled a BASIC course. Investigators presented each student with a sequence of eight programming problems, ranging from easy to difficult. They asked questions to track student thinking and…

This study examined the effectiveness of a metacourse consisting of eight lessons interspersed over a semester-long beginning course in BASIC and aimed at providing mental models, problem-solving strategies, key concepts, and other heuristic structures. The experimental group consisted of 6 teachers who taught 9 classes of a total of 132 high…

An overall schema of interpretation for programming instructors is given, so that the misconceptions students develop in programming can be determined more readily. Types of language-independent and -dependent bugs, how they can be identified, and how to help students overcome them are addressed. (MNS)

Describes mathematical problems which occur when using the computer as a calculator. Considers errors in BASIC calculation and the order of mathematical operations. Identifies errors in spreadsheet and calculator programs. Comments on sorting programs and provides a source for Mathemagical Black Holes. (MVL)

In an attempt to initiate a new approach to the teaching of Pascal, a study was conducted to ascertain the difficulties students encountered when they attempt to learn this computer language. Screening tests were given to 68 students in grades 11 and 12 who had just completed a semester course in Pascal. The purpose of the test was to detect…