Fragile knowledge and neglected strategies in novice programmers

Abstract

Many students have great difficulty mastering the basics of programming. Inadequate knowledge, neglect of general problem-solving strategies, or both might explain their troubles. We report a series of clinical interviews of students taking first year BASIC in which an experimenter interacted with students as they worked, systematically providing help as needed in a progression from general strategic prompts to particular advice. The results indicate a substantial problem of fragile in novices knowledge that is partial, hard to access, and often misused. The results also show that general strategic prompts often resolve these difficulties. Recommendations for teaching more robust knowledge and general strategies are made. Implications for the impact of programming on general cognitive skills are considered.