Australasian Computing Education Conference 

About: Australasian Computing Education Conference is an academic conference. The conference publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & Curriculum. Over the lifetime, 477 publications have been published by the conference receiving 8638 citations.

Parson's programming puzzles: a fun and effective learning tool for first programming courses

Abstract: Mastery of basic syntactic and logical constructs is an essential part of learning to program. Unfortunately, practice exercises for programming basics can be very tedious, making it difficult to motivate students. In this paper we describe Parson's Programming Puzzles, an automated, interactive tool that provides practice with basic programming principles in an entertaining puzzle-like format. Careful design of the items in the puzzles allows the tutor to highlight particular topics and common programming errors. Since each puzzle solution is a complete sample of well-written code, use of the tool exposes students to good programming practice. This paper discusses the motivation of Parson's Programming Puzzles, and gives several examples. We describe the web-based authoring tool used to build the puzzles, and present our plans for future development.

An Australasian study of reading and comprehension skills in novice programmers, using the bloom and SOLO taxonomies

Abstract: In this paper we report on a multiinstitutional investigation into the reading and comprehension skills of novice programmers. This work extends previous studies (Lister 2004, McCracken 2001) by developing a question set within two key pedagogical frameworks: the Bloom and SOLO taxonomies. From this framework of analysis some interesting emergent patterns relating the cognitive level of the questions to student performance have been identified.

Static analysis of students' Java programs

Abstract: A recent industry survey (Townhidnejad and Hilburn, 2002) has reported that more than fifty percent of a software project's budget is spent on activities related to improving software quality. Industry leaders claim that this is caused by the inadequate attention paid to software quality in the development phase. This paper introduces a static analysis framework which can be used to give beginning students practice in writing better quality Java programs and to assist teaching staff in the marking process. The framework uses both software engineering metrics and relative comparison to judge the quality of student's programs and provide feedback about how solutions might be improved.

iWeaver : towards 'learning style'-based e-learning in computer science education

Abstract: Although learning style theory is widely accepted amongst educational theorists in the context of traditional classroom environments, there is still little research on the adaptation to individual styles in an e-learning environment. In particular the possibility of fluctuations in a learning style with changing tasks or content has not yet been addressed. The described PhD project named iWeaver was designed to provide a flexible, yet manageable environment for the learner by implementing adaptive hypermedia techniques. iWeaver draws upon the widely recognised Dunn & Dunn learning styles model and derived learning strategies. It uses database-driven JavaServer Pages, which generate 'media experiences' (e.g. interactive Flash animations or streaming audio) and other specifically developed 'learning tools' to teach the Java programming language. This paper describes the system architecture of iWeaver and gives technical details on the implementation of specific media experiences and learning tools. An approach to predict and accommodate fluctuations in a learning style profile that will be integrated in a future version of the environment is discussed.

My program is correct but it doesn't run: a preliminary investigation of novice programmers' problems

Abstract: In this paper we describe an ongoing study of novice programmers. The aim is to record (as close as possible to) all of the problems encountered by students during the laboratory sessions of our introductory Java programming class. We discuss the tools and methods employed, in particular presenting the list of problem definitions which is used to classify students' problems. Data collected during 2003 are presented and discussed. The results are consistent with trends noted in the literature, and highlight the significance of both fundamental design issues and the procedural aspects of programming. Different problem distributions are observed for high and low performing students. An analysis of individual lab sessions can be useful for refining course materials and teaching practice.