article

Free access

The effect of a preliminary programming and problem solving course on performance in a traditional programming course for computer science majors

Author:

Patricia F. CampbellAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 16, Issue 1

Pages 56 - 64

https://doi.org/10.1145/952980.808623

Published: 01 January 1984 Publication History

PDF eReader

Abstract

A preliminary PASCAL course which emphasized problem solving was designed for incoming computer science majors who were identified as being at risk. In addition, students in the required PASCAL course could transfer back to the preliminary course prior to the administration of the first examination. Students in the preliminary course were paired with comparable freshman majors from the preceeding academic year. Paired t-tests revealed significantly higher grades in the required course for those students who had previously completed the preliminary course. The preliminary course also served as a filter; approximately 43% of the students did not subsequently attempt the required course. Sex differences in persistence were also noted.

References

[1]

Behforooz, A., & Onkar, P. S. (1981). A one-year introductory course for a computer science undergradate program. SIGCSE Bulletin, 13, 46-49.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

[2]

Campbell, P. F. (1983, April). The effect of programming instruction in the high school on performance in a university level programming course. Paper presented at the 61st Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Detroit, Michigan.

Google Scholar

[3]

Campbell, P. F., & McCabe, G. P. (1982). Factors relating to persistence in a computer science major (Tech. Rep. No. 82-15). West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University, Department of Statistics. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 221 367)

Google Scholar

[4]

Findlay, W., & Watt, D. A. (1978). PASCAL: An introduction to methodical programming. Potomac, Maryland: Computer Science Press.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

[5]

Harrison, W. A., & Magel, K. I. (1981). A suggested course in introductory computer programming. SIGCSE Bulletin, 13, 50-56.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

[6]

Hyde, D. C., Gay, B. D., & Utter, D., Jr. (1979). The integration of a problem solving process in the first course. SIGCSE Bulletin, 14, 54-59.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

[7]

Koffman, E. B. (1981). Problem solving and structured programming in PASCAL. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

[8]

Ledgard, H. F., Nagin, P. A., &s Hueras, J. F. (1979). PASCAL with style: Programming proverbs. Rochelle Park, New Jersey: Hayden Book Company.

Google Scholar

[9]

Riley, D. D. (1981). Teaching problem solving in an introductory computer science class. SIGCSE Bulletin, 13, 244-251.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

Cited By

View all

Dümmel NWestfechtel BEhmann MMottok J(2018)Effects of a preliminary programming course on students' performanceProceedings of the 3rd European Conference of Software Engineering Education10.1145/3209087.3209088(77-86)Online publication date: 14-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3209087.3209088
Brady MO'donoghue JBajpai A(2006)An innovative approach to computer programming in schoolsInternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology10.1080/002073988019031319:3(469-487)Online publication date: 9-Jul-2006
https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739880190313
McGee LPolychronopoulos GWilson C(1987)The influence of BASIC on performance in introductory computer science courses using PascalACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/36093.3610319:3(29-34)Online publication date: 1-Sep-1987
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/36093.36103
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

The effect of a preliminary programming and problem solving course on performance in a traditional programming course for computer science majors
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education
      2. Model curricula

Recommendations

The effect of a preliminary programming and problem solving course on performance in a traditional programming course for computer science majors
SIGCSE '84: Proceedings of the fifteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

A preliminary PASCAL course which emphasized problem solving was designed for incoming computer science majors who were identified as being at risk. In addition, students in the required PASCAL course could transfer back to the preliminary course prior ...
A comparison of the effects on students' attitudes toward computers of a computer programming course versus a computer programming and awareness course
The Effect of Problem-Solving Instruction on Computer Engineering Majors' Performance in Verilog Programming

This study investigated the effect of instruction in problem-solving skills on computer engineering majors' performance in programming in the Verilog. Comparisons were made among two treatment groups (deduction and analogy) and a control group, whose ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 16, Issue 1

Proceedings of the 15th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

February 1984

235 pages

ISSN:0097-8418

DOI:10.1145/952980

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGCSE '84: Proceedings of the fifteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
January 1984
272 pages
ISBN:0897911261
DOI:10.1145/800039
Chairman:
Richard H. Austing,
Editors:
Lillian N. Cassel,
Joyce Currie Little

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]

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 January 1984

Published in SIGCSE Volume 16, Issue 1

Check for updates

Author Tags

Qualifiers

Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

20
Total Citations
View Citations
373
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)65
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)17

Reflects downloads up to 10 Oct 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all

Dümmel NWestfechtel BEhmann MMottok J(2018)Effects of a preliminary programming course on students' performanceProceedings of the 3rd European Conference of Software Engineering Education10.1145/3209087.3209088(77-86)Online publication date: 14-Jun-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3209087.3209088
Brady MO'donoghue JBajpai A(2006)An innovative approach to computer programming in schoolsInternational Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology10.1080/002073988019031319:3(469-487)Online publication date: 9-Jul-2006
https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739880190313
McGee LPolychronopoulos GWilson C(1987)The influence of BASIC on performance in introductory computer science courses using PascalACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/36093.3610319:3(29-34)Online publication date: 1-Sep-1987
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/36093.36103
Austin HDavis PMcClintock V(1987)Associations of student characteristics to measures of introductory Pascal computer programming achievement for suburban community college students (abstract only)Proceedings of the 15th annual conference on Computer Science10.1145/322917.323107Online publication date: 1-Feb-1987
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/322917.323107
Company PPlumed RVarley PCamba J(2019)Algorithmic Perception of Vertices in Sketched Drawings of Polyhedral ShapesACM Transactions on Applied Perception10.1145/334550716:3(1-19)Online publication date: 31-Aug-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3345507
Wang YSun YLiu ZSarma SBronstein MSolomon J(2019)Dynamic Graph CNN for Learning on Point CloudsACM Transactions on Graphics10.1145/332636238:5(1-12)Online publication date: 10-Oct-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3326362
Ma LHe YSun QZhou YZhang CWang W(2019)Constructing 3D Self-Supporting Surfaces with Isotropic Stress Using 4D Minimal Hypersurfaces of RevolutionACM Transactions on Graphics10.1145/318873538:5(1-13)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3188735
Brookshire RCrews TBrown H(2011)Influences on Student Performance in a University Networks and Telecommunications CourseOnline Courses and ICT in Education10.4018/978-1-60960-150-8.ch023(300-310)Online publication date: 2011
https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60960-150-8.ch023
Dittrich J(2011)Paper bricksACM SIGMOD Record10.1145/1978915.197892339:4(31-36)Online publication date: 6-May-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1978915.1978923
Cattell R(2011)Scalable SQL and NoSQL data storesACM SIGMOD Record10.1145/1978915.197891939:4(12-27)Online publication date: 6-May-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1978915.1978919
Show More Cited By

View Options

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

PDF

eReader

View online with eReader.

eReader

Get Access

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Abstract

References

Cited By

Index Terms

Recommendations