Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- ... more Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- self to novices at high school and university levels as well as it once did. This paper considers why this is the case, what may happen if this trend continues, and what can be done to restore interest for the next generation of programmers. With me were three of the finest programming geniuses the Australian high school system had to offer. The boys had been selected from the top performing competitors in the Australian Com- puter Programming Competition (ACPC), a national programming competition for high school students. The competition is now in its twentieth year. In its history the competition has adapted to changes in languages, operating systems and methods of communication. From a paper based competition where questions and solutions had been sent through standard mail, the competition has used fax, email, and now runs online with automated question distribution and marking. In- ...
Electronic peer review can empower lecturers of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promote ... more Electronic peer review can empower lecturers of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promote social interaction and encourage higher order learning for students. But what are the payoffs to educators? Do students recognise the benefits of such a system? Foundation Computing is one of the largest courses at the University of Southern Queensland. A system of electronic submission and peer reviewing with instructor moderation is now being used in this course. This system is innovative and unique and delivers benefits to students, lecturers and the University. This system has been evaluated, proven successful and is being considered for wider use.
Deciding what to teach novice programmers about programming and, in particular, which programming... more Deciding what to teach novice programmers about programming and, in particular, which programming language to teach to novice programmers, and how to teach it, is a common topic for debate within uni- versities. Should an industry relevant programming language be taught, or should a language designed for teaching novices be used? In order to design tools and methodologies for the teaching of novice pro- grammers it is important to uncover what is being taught, and in turn, what will be taught in the future. A census of introductory programming courses administered within all Australian universities has been un- dertaken. The census aimed to reveal not only what computer programming languages are being taught, but also how they are being taught. From the results of this census two key factors emerged: perceived industry pressure for graduates with certain language skills versus academic training for generic pro- gramming skills.
This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses... more This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses within a university setting. In particular, guidelines for choosing programming languages to be taught are presented. Information relevant to instructors of later programming courses is also presented.
This paper reports the findings of a census of introductory programming courses. Eighty five cour... more This paper reports the findings of a census of introductory programming courses. Eighty five courses from Australian and New Zealand universities are included. The census aims to discover languages and paradigms taught, tools used, texts employed, method of delivery to on-campus students, instructor experience and how problem solving strategies are taught. Of note in the 2003 census is the reduction in student enrolments in introductory programming courses since 2001, the differences in teaching between Australian and New Zealand courses, and trends relating to language, tools and paradigms. .
Journal of Research and Practice in Information Technology
Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming lang... more Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming language they teach primarily based on a perception of industry demand. This paper examines if this perception is justifiable, and offers instructors of all programming languages an insight into the issue of academic and industry balance, now and into the future.
Examinations have traditionally been classified as "open-book" or "closed-book&quo... more Examinations have traditionally been classified as "open-book" or "closed-book" in relation to the freedom for students to bring resources into examinations. Open-book examinations can have benefits, such as reduced anxiety, de-emphasis of memorisation and reduced cheating. But open-book examinations can also have disadvantages such as reduced preparation and the need for time during examinations to look up facts. An emerging alternative allows students to bring a 'cheat-sheet' of hand-written notes. This form of examination has the potential to offer many of the benefits of an open-book examination while overcoming some of its failings. There has been little evidence showing that cheat-sheets can have an impact, and what exists is contradictory. This study reveals that students who create and use cheat-sheets performed better, on average, in an introductory programming examination. Certain features of cheat-sheets were found to be related to superior per...
Proceedings of the 6th Baltic Sea conference on Computing education research Koli Calling 2006 - Baltic Sea '06, 2006
Abstract The question of which language to use in introductory programming has been cause for pro... more Abstract The question of which language to use in introductory programming has been cause for protracted debate, often based on emotive opinions. Several studies on the benefits of individual languages or comparisons between two languages have been ...
... Mark Toleman Department of Maths and Computing University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Q ... more ... Mark Toleman Department of Maths and Computing University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Q 4350, Australia markt@usq.edu.au ... Indeed, Lister and Leaney [4] suggest students should be graded according to the maturity of their problem solving competency. ...
ABSTRACT This paper describes how programming strategies were explicitly instructed and assessed ... more ABSTRACT This paper describes how programming strategies were explicitly instructed and assessed in an introductory programming course and describes the impact of this curricular change. A description is given of how strategies were explicitly integrated into teaching materials and assessed in assignments and examinations. Comparisons are made between the outcomes of novices under the new curriculum and results of novices' learning under the previous implicit-only strategy curriculum, measured in an earlier study. This comparison shows improvement in novices' strategy application under the new curriculum.
Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- ... more Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- self to novices at high school and university levels as well as it once did. This paper considers why this is the case, what may happen if this trend continues, and what can be done to restore interest for the next generation of programmers. With me were three of the finest programming geniuses the Australian high school system had to offer. The boys had been selected from the top performing competitors in the Australian Com- puter Programming Competition (ACPC), a national programming competition for high school students. The competition is now in its twentieth year. In its history the competition has adapted to changes in languages, operating systems and methods of communication. From a paper based competition where questions and solutions had been sent through standard mail, the competition has used fax, email, and now runs online with automated question distribution and marking. In- ...
Textbooks are an important resource in tertiary education, particularly in Introductory Programmi... more Textbooks are an important resource in tertiary education, particularly in Introductory Programming. In many university courses they form the basis of curriculum. But how good are the texts being used? Can they be relied on for skills required for students' ...
Electronic peer review can empower instructors of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promot... more Electronic peer review can empower instructors of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promote social interaction and encourage higher order learning by students. But what are the payoffs for educators? Do students recognise the benefits of such a system? ...
This study examines the problem solving strategies used by expert programmers. Past studies of th... more This study examines the problem solving strategies used by expert programmers. Past studies of the cognitive processes of expert programmers suggest the existence of plans that describe the problem solving strategies held by these programmers. To date ...
Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming lang... more Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming language they teach primarily based on a perception of industry demand. This paper examines if this perception is justifiable, and offers instructors of all programming ...
This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses... more This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses within a university setting. In particular, guidelines for choosing programming languages to be taught are presented. Information relevant to instructors of ...
Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- ... more Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- self to novices at high school and university levels as well as it once did. This paper considers why this is the case, what may happen if this trend continues, and what can be done to restore interest for the next generation of programmers. With me were three of the finest programming geniuses the Australian high school system had to offer. The boys had been selected from the top performing competitors in the Australian Com- puter Programming Competition (ACPC), a national programming competition for high school students. The competition is now in its twentieth year. In its history the competition has adapted to changes in languages, operating systems and methods of communication. From a paper based competition where questions and solutions had been sent through standard mail, the competition has used fax, email, and now runs online with automated question distribution and marking. In- ...
Electronic peer review can empower lecturers of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promote ... more Electronic peer review can empower lecturers of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promote social interaction and encourage higher order learning for students. But what are the payoffs to educators? Do students recognise the benefits of such a system? Foundation Computing is one of the largest courses at the University of Southern Queensland. A system of electronic submission and peer reviewing with instructor moderation is now being used in this course. This system is innovative and unique and delivers benefits to students, lecturers and the University. This system has been evaluated, proven successful and is being considered for wider use.
Deciding what to teach novice programmers about programming and, in particular, which programming... more Deciding what to teach novice programmers about programming and, in particular, which programming language to teach to novice programmers, and how to teach it, is a common topic for debate within uni- versities. Should an industry relevant programming language be taught, or should a language designed for teaching novices be used? In order to design tools and methodologies for the teaching of novice pro- grammers it is important to uncover what is being taught, and in turn, what will be taught in the future. A census of introductory programming courses administered within all Australian universities has been un- dertaken. The census aimed to reveal not only what computer programming languages are being taught, but also how they are being taught. From the results of this census two key factors emerged: perceived industry pressure for graduates with certain language skills versus academic training for generic pro- gramming skills.
This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses... more This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses within a university setting. In particular, guidelines for choosing programming languages to be taught are presented. Information relevant to instructors of later programming courses is also presented.
This paper reports the findings of a census of introductory programming courses. Eighty five cour... more This paper reports the findings of a census of introductory programming courses. Eighty five courses from Australian and New Zealand universities are included. The census aims to discover languages and paradigms taught, tools used, texts employed, method of delivery to on-campus students, instructor experience and how problem solving strategies are taught. Of note in the 2003 census is the reduction in student enrolments in introductory programming courses since 2001, the differences in teaching between Australian and New Zealand courses, and trends relating to language, tools and paradigms. .
Journal of Research and Practice in Information Technology
Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming lang... more Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming language they teach primarily based on a perception of industry demand. This paper examines if this perception is justifiable, and offers instructors of all programming languages an insight into the issue of academic and industry balance, now and into the future.
Examinations have traditionally been classified as "open-book" or "closed-book&quo... more Examinations have traditionally been classified as "open-book" or "closed-book" in relation to the freedom for students to bring resources into examinations. Open-book examinations can have benefits, such as reduced anxiety, de-emphasis of memorisation and reduced cheating. But open-book examinations can also have disadvantages such as reduced preparation and the need for time during examinations to look up facts. An emerging alternative allows students to bring a 'cheat-sheet' of hand-written notes. This form of examination has the potential to offer many of the benefits of an open-book examination while overcoming some of its failings. There has been little evidence showing that cheat-sheets can have an impact, and what exists is contradictory. This study reveals that students who create and use cheat-sheets performed better, on average, in an introductory programming examination. Certain features of cheat-sheets were found to be related to superior per...
Proceedings of the 6th Baltic Sea conference on Computing education research Koli Calling 2006 - Baltic Sea '06, 2006
Abstract The question of which language to use in introductory programming has been cause for pro... more Abstract The question of which language to use in introductory programming has been cause for protracted debate, often based on emotive opinions. Several studies on the benefits of individual languages or comparisons between two languages have been ...
... Mark Toleman Department of Maths and Computing University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Q ... more ... Mark Toleman Department of Maths and Computing University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Q 4350, Australia markt@usq.edu.au ... Indeed, Lister and Leaney [4] suggest students should be graded according to the maturity of their problem solving competency. ...
ABSTRACT This paper describes how programming strategies were explicitly instructed and assessed ... more ABSTRACT This paper describes how programming strategies were explicitly instructed and assessed in an introductory programming course and describes the impact of this curricular change. A description is given of how strategies were explicitly integrated into teaching materials and assessed in assignments and examinations. Comparisons are made between the outcomes of novices under the new curriculum and results of novices' learning under the previous implicit-only strategy curriculum, measured in an earlier study. This comparison shows improvement in novices' strategy application under the new curriculum.
Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- ... more Interest in beginning a career in programming is declining. Programming is no longer selling it- self to novices at high school and university levels as well as it once did. This paper considers why this is the case, what may happen if this trend continues, and what can be done to restore interest for the next generation of programmers. With me were three of the finest programming geniuses the Australian high school system had to offer. The boys had been selected from the top performing competitors in the Australian Com- puter Programming Competition (ACPC), a national programming competition for high school students. The competition is now in its twentieth year. In its history the competition has adapted to changes in languages, operating systems and methods of communication. From a paper based competition where questions and solutions had been sent through standard mail, the competition has used fax, email, and now runs online with automated question distribution and marking. In- ...
Textbooks are an important resource in tertiary education, particularly in Introductory Programmi... more Textbooks are an important resource in tertiary education, particularly in Introductory Programming. In many university courses they form the basis of curriculum. But how good are the texts being used? Can they be relied on for skills required for students' ...
Electronic peer review can empower instructors of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promot... more Electronic peer review can empower instructors of large courses to produce rapid feedback, promote social interaction and encourage higher order learning by students. But what are the payoffs for educators? Do students recognise the benefits of such a system? ...
This study examines the problem solving strategies used by expert programmers. Past studies of th... more This study examines the problem solving strategies used by expert programmers. Past studies of the cognitive processes of expert programmers suggest the existence of plans that describe the problem solving strategies held by these programmers. To date ...
Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming lang... more Introductory programming instructors in Australian universities are choosing the programming language they teach primarily based on a perception of industry demand. This paper examines if this perception is justifiable, and offers instructors of all programming ...
This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses... more This paper seeks to inform instructors responsible for designing introductory programming courses within a university setting. In particular, guidelines for choosing programming languages to be taught are presented. Information relevant to instructors of ...
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Papers by Michael de Raadt