Article

Commonsense computing: using student sorting abilities to improve instruction

Authors:

Gary Lewandowski,

Robert McCartney,

Beth SimonAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE '07: Proceedings of the 38th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

Pages 276 - 280

https://doi.org/10.1145/1227310.1227408

Published: 07 March 2007 Publication History

Abstract

We examine students' commonsense understanding of computer science concepts before they receive any formal instruction in the field. For this study, we asked students on the first day of a CS1 class to describe in English how they would arrange a set of numbers in ascending, sorted order; we then repeated the experiment asking students to sort a list of dates (in mm/dd/yyyy format).We found that a majority of students described a coherent algorithm; some described versions of insertion or selection sort, but many gave unexpected algorithms. We also found significant differences between responses given for sorting numbers versus dates. Based on our analysis of the data we suggest that beginning-programming instructors more explicitly discuss data types, begin loop instruction with post-test loops, assist students in recognizing implicit conditional and iteration use in natural language solutions to probls, and recognize that novices and experts focus on different aspects of the probl in even basic probl solving tasks.

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Cited By

Esche S(2024)Testing Programming Aptitude through Commonsense ComputingProceedings of the 26th Australasian Computing Education Conference10.1145/3636243.3636255(104-113)Online publication date: 29-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3636243.3636255
Finnie-Ansley JDenny PLuxton-Reilly AMerkle LDoyle MSheard JSoh LDorn B(2022)Play Your Cards RightProceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education - Volume 110.1145/3478431.3499343(857-863)Online publication date: 22-Feb-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3478431.3499343
Skalka JDrlik MBenko LKapusta JRodríguez del Pino JSmyrnova-Trybulska EStolinska ASvec PTurcinek P(2021)Conceptual Framework for Programming Skills Development Based on Microlearning and Automated Source Code Evaluation in Virtual Learning EnvironmentSustainability10.3390/su1306329313:6(3293)Online publication date: 17-Mar-2021
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063293
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Index Terms

Commonsense computing: using student sorting abilities to improve instruction
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education

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cover image ACM Conferences

SIGCSE '07: Proceedings of the 38th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

March 2007

634 pages

ISBN:1595933611

DOI:10.1145/1227310

General Chairs:
Ingrid Russell
University of Hartford
,
Susan Haller
SUNY Potsdam
,
Program Chairs:
J. D. Dougherty
Haverford College
,
Susan Rodger
Duke University

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 39, Issue 1
March 2007
581 pages
ISSN:0097-8418
DOI:10.1145/1227504
Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2007 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Published: 07 March 2007

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Cited By

Esche S(2024)Testing Programming Aptitude through Commonsense ComputingProceedings of the 26th Australasian Computing Education Conference10.1145/3636243.3636255(104-113)Online publication date: 29-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3636243.3636255
Finnie-Ansley JDenny PLuxton-Reilly AMerkle LDoyle MSheard JSoh LDorn B(2022)Play Your Cards RightProceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education - Volume 110.1145/3478431.3499343(857-863)Online publication date: 22-Feb-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3478431.3499343
Skalka JDrlik MBenko LKapusta JRodríguez del Pino JSmyrnova-Trybulska EStolinska ASvec PTurcinek P(2021)Conceptual Framework for Programming Skills Development Based on Microlearning and Automated Source Code Evaluation in Virtual Learning EnvironmentSustainability10.3390/su1306329313:6(3293)Online publication date: 17-Mar-2021
https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063293
Finnie-Ansley JDenny PLuxton-Reilly A(2021)A Semblance of Similarity: Student Categorisation of Simple Algorithmic Problem StatementsProceedings of the 17th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research10.1145/3446871.3469745(198-212)Online publication date: 16-Aug-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3446871.3469745
Luxton-Reilly ASimon Albluwi IBecker BGiannakos MKumar AOtt LPaterson JScott MSheard JSzabo CRößling GScharlau B(2018)Introductory programming: a systematic literature reviewProceedings Companion of the 23rd Annual ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3293881.3295779(55-106)Online publication date: 2-Jul-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3293881.3295779
Strong GHiggins CBresnihan NMillwood R(2018)A Survey of the Prior Programming Experience of Undergraduate Computing and Engineering Students in IrelandTomorrow's Learning: Involving Everyone. Learning with and about Technologies and Computing10.1007/978-3-319-74310-3_48(473-483)Online publication date: 21-Jan-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74310-3_48
Porter LTaylor CWebb KCajander ÅDaniels MClear TPears A(2014)Leveraging open source principles for flexible concept inventory developmentProceedings of the 2014 conference on Innovation & technology in computer science education10.1145/2591708.2591722(243-248)Online publication date: 21-Jun-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2591708.2591722
Webb KTaylor CDougherty JNagel KDecker AEiselt K(2014)Developing a pre- and post-course concept inventory to gauge operating systems learningProceedings of the 45th ACM technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/2538862.2538886(103-108)Online publication date: 5-Mar-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2538862.2538886
Smith TMcCartney R(2013)Categorizing the school experience of entering computing studentsJournal of Computing Sciences in Colleges10.5555/2400161.240017728:3(78-85)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2400161.2400177
Oliveira OMonteiro ARoman N(2013)Can natural language be utilized in the learning of programming fundamentals?2013 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE.2013.6685157(1851-1856)Online publication date: Oct-2013
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2013.6685157
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