A student perspective on prior experience in CS1

Abstract

This work explores the effects of prior exposure to programming on student experiences in an introductory computer programming course CS1). We take a student-focused approach: using a combination of surveys and semi-structured interviews, we obtain information on the student experiences in CS1 and their relationship to prior programming experience (PE). The analysis of the results provides insight into the following two questions: a) How does PE affect peer interaction: pair programming sessions, assignment partnerships, and online and in-class interactions? b) What are the students' beliefs on the relationship between PE and success in the course?