Constructivism in an introduction to programming course
Gracielo Gonzalez · 2004
Attempting to explain reference parameters to novice programmers is a sure way to discover how challenging these and other abstract concepts are for students with little programming background and low confidence on their abilities. Participating in the classroom or approaching professors seems all but impossible when there are other students that seem to have no problems with the material. This phenomenon has been identified as a major factor contributing to the high drop-out rate in Computer Science, particularly among women and minorities [3] This paper presents results of an ongoing project that seeks to develop material that appeals to a diversity of styles of learning for introduction to programming classes. The material consists of activities based on the educational theory of constructivism[1], which, through the use of manipulatives and metaphores, encourage a more active role for students in the classroom, enabling them to construct knowledge of programming on their own terms. During such activites, the instructor actively guides and encourages discovery of concepts, interacting directly with small groups of students, widening the communication channel between the students and the instructor and allowing for immediate assesment in a non-threatening, non-competitive classroom atmosphere.