Acquisition of Programming Skills
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between programming skill acquisition and various measures of individual differences including: a) problem solving abilities (e.g., ability to decompose a problem into its constituent parts); b) prior knowledge and general cognitive skills (e.g., arithmetic reasoning, work knowledge, information processing speed); and c) passive versus active learning style. Ability measures consisted of scores from algebra test battery was constructed to parallel specific abilities hypothesized by Brooks (1977) to underlie programming skills: understanding, method-finding, and coding. Subjects (N = 265) received extensive Pascal programming instruction from an intelligent tutoring system. Following the instruction, and online battery of criterion tests was administered measuring the breadth and depth of programming knowledge and skills acquired from the tutor. Results indicated that successful learning of Pascal programming was a function of: certain problem solving abilities posited by Brooks (i.e., identifying/understanding a problem type and sequencing problem elements into a solution), working memory capacity (i.e., how much concurrent storage and processing an individual was capable of doing), and an active learning style. Implications of the findings for the development of a theoretical framework on which to base programming instruction are discussed. Keywords: Individual differences; Problem solving ability; Programming ability; Skill acquisition.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA221036
Entities
People
- Carmen M. Pena
- Valerie J. Shute
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory