Six Learning Barriers in End-User Programming Systems

TLDR

Programming skills are increasingly demanded, making the learnability of end‑user programming systems critical, yet prior research has focused mainly on language barriers, neglecting environmental and library obstacles. This study examined novice programmers learning Visual Basic.NET to identify learning barriers. Six barrier types—design, selection, coordination, use, understanding, and information—were identified, leading to a learner‑centric computational metaphor for system design.

Abstract

As programming skills increase in demand and utility, the learnability of end-user programming systems is of utmost importance. However, research on learning barriers in programming systems has primarily focused on languages, overlooking potential barriers in the environment and accompanying libraries. To address this, a study of beginning programmers learning Visual Basic.NET was performed. This identified six types of barriers: design, selection, coordination, use, understanding, and information. These barriers inspire a new metaphor of computation, which provides a more learner-centric view of programming system design.