research-article

Geek genes, prior knowledge, stumbling points and learning edge momentum: parts of the one elephant?

Authors:

Alireza Ahadi,

Raymond ListerAuthors Info & Claims

ICER '13: Proceedings of the ninth annual international ACM conference on International computing education research

Pages 123 - 128

https://doi.org/10.1145/2493394.2493416

Published: 12 August 2013 Publication History

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Abstract

Computing academics report bimodal grade distributions in their CS1 classes. Some academics believe that such a distribution is due to their being an innate talent for programming, a "geek gene". Robins introduced the concept of learning edge momentum, which offers an alternative explanation for the purported bimodal grade distribution. In this paper, we analyze empirical data from a real introductory programming class, looking for evidence of geek genes, learning edge momentum and other possible factors.

References

[1]

Robins, A. (2010) Learning edge momentum: A new account of outcomes in CS1. Comp. Sci. Ed., 20(1), 37--71.

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[2]

Schilling, M., Watkins, A. and Watkins, W. (2002). Is Human Height Bimodal? The American Statistician 56 (3): 223--229.

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Kirdani-Ryan MKo A(2024)Neurodivergent Legitimacy in Computing SpacesACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/369065124:4(1-28)Online publication date: 4-Sep-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3690651
Sanhueza FGutierrez FVasquez AMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2024)Exploring the Acceptance and Effectiveness of Parsons Problems on Scaffolding CS1 RetakersProceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3649217.3653590(681-687)Online publication date: 3-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3649217.3653590
Bui GSibia NZavaleta Bernuy ALiut MPetersen ADoyle MStephenson BDorn BSoh LBattestilli L(2023)Prior Programming Experience: A Persistent Performance Gap in CS1 and CS2Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3545945.3569752(889-895)Online publication date: 2-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3545945.3569752
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Index Terms

Geek genes, prior knowledge, stumbling points and learning edge momentum: parts of the one elephant?
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education

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Published In

ICER '13: Proceedings of the ninth annual international ACM conference on International computing education research

August 2013

202 pages

ISBN:9781450322430

DOI:10.1145/2493394

General Chairs:
Beth Simon
University of California, San Diego, USA
,
Alison Clear
CPIT, Christchurch, NZ
,
Quintin Cutts
University of Glasgow, UK

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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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 12 August 2013

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ICER '13

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SIGCSE

ICER '13: International Computing Education Research Conference

August 12 - 14, 2013

San California, San Diego, USA

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ICER '13 Paper Acceptance Rate 22 of 70 submissions, 31%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 189 of 803 submissions, 24%

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ICER 2025

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sigcse

ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research

August 3 - 6, 2025

Charlottesville , VA , USA

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Kirdani-Ryan MKo A(2024)Neurodivergent Legitimacy in Computing SpacesACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/369065124:4(1-28)Online publication date: 4-Sep-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3690651
Sanhueza FGutierrez FVasquez AMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2024)Exploring the Acceptance and Effectiveness of Parsons Problems on Scaffolding CS1 RetakersProceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3649217.3653590(681-687)Online publication date: 3-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3649217.3653590
Bui GSibia NZavaleta Bernuy ALiut MPetersen ADoyle MStephenson BDorn BSoh LBattestilli L(2023)Prior Programming Experience: A Persistent Performance Gap in CS1 and CS2Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3545945.3569752(889-895)Online publication date: 2-Mar-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3545945.3569752
Draper SMaguire J(2023)The Different Types of Contributions to Knowledge (in CER): All Needed, But Not All RecognisedACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/348705323:1(1-36)Online publication date: 18-Jan-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3487053
Alharbi NCutts Q(2023)An Elaboration of Research Led Computer Science Framework for Early Education2023 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10342646(1-8)Online publication date: 18-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10342646
Lapierre HCharland PLéger P(2023)Looking “Under the hood” of learning computer programming: the emotional and cognitive differences between novices and beginnersComputer Science Education10.1080/08993408.2023.221403334:3(331-352)Online publication date: 25-May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1080/08993408.2023.2214033
Alvarez CSamary MWise A(2023)Modularization for mastery learning in CS1: a 4-year action research studyJournal of Computing in Higher Education10.1007/s12528-023-09366-136:2(546-589)Online publication date: 16-Mar-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-023-09366-1
Lonati VBrodnik ABell TCsizmadia ADe Mol LHickman HKeane TMirolo CMonga MQuille KAlshaigy BBecker BQuille KLaakso M(2022)What We Talk About When We Talk About ProgramsProceedings of the 2022 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3571785.3574125(117-164)Online publication date: 27-Dec-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3571785.3574125
Szabo CSheard J(2022)Learning Theories Use and Relationships in Computing Education ResearchACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/348705623:1(1-34)Online publication date: 29-Dec-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3487056
Moore DEdwards JKarimi HKhadka RBodily P(2022)Temporal Abstract Syntax Trees for Understanding Student Coding Thought Process2022 Intermountain Engineering, Technology and Computing (IETC)10.1109/IETC54973.2022.9796943(1-6)Online publication date: May-2022
https://doi.org/10.1109/IETC54973.2022.9796943
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