NDLI: B#: The Development and Assessment of an Iconic Programming Tool for Novice Programmers

Content Provider	IEEE Xplore Digital Library
Author	Greyling, J.H. Cilliers, C.B. Calitz, A.P.
Copyright Year	2006
Description	Author affiliation: Dept. of Comput. Sci. & Inf. Syst., Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Univ., Port Elizabeth (Greyling, J.H.; Cilliers, C.B.; Calitz, A.P.)
Abstract	The higher incidence of under-prepared students in the South African education institutions has a particular significance for introductory programming courses which rely heavily on the use of technological tools as components of the teaching model. Difficulties experienced by novice programmers in introductory programming courses include deficiencies in problem-solving strategies, misconceptions relating to programming language constructs and the use of traditional programming environments. An introductory programming course should offer students problem solving analysis and design experience as well as exposure to the basic ideas of algorithmic thinking. Generally, introductory programming courses tend to concentrate on the syntax of a programming language at the expense of developing problem solving skills. Coupled to this are the ever-increasing complexity of modern programming languages and the user interfaces of their IDEs. A strategy that addresses the difficulties experienced by novice programmers in introductory programming courses is one that modifies the teaching model, specifically within the context of technological support. One way of implementing this strategy is with the use of visual programming languages, of which the iconic flowchart approach is one. Further, iconic programming environments traditionally attempt to simplify the programming task by reducing the level of precision and manual typing usually required in the conventional textual programming languages. These environments also attempt to increase the speed at which problem-solving and implementation efforts occur. Consequently, B# was developed in order to provide an environment in which programs can be developed using iconic flowcharts. Basic programming concepts such as assignments, conditions, loops, inputs and outputs are supported. Automatic code generation, debugging and program execution is also supported by the system. This paper reports on the development of B#, focusing on insights that were obtained concerning iconic programming tools. The use of B# by novice programmers in an introductory programming course is discussed and assessed. Recommendations are made as to how an iconic programming environment like B# could contribute to the successful completion of an introductory programming course
Starting Page	367
Ending Page	375
File Size	8338576
Page Count	9
File Format	PDF
ISBN	1424404053
DOI	10.1109/ITHET.2006.339788
Language	English
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Publisher Date	2006-07-10
Publisher Place	Australia
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Rights Holder	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subject Keyword	Algorithm design and analysis Computer languages Flowcharts Educational programs Education Educational technology User interfaces Introductory programming Problem-solving Iconic programming Programming profession Programming environments
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article

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