Software tools to support an objects-first curriculum
Dean Sanders · Journal of computing sciences in colleges · 2005
The purpose of this tutorial is to investigate free software tools that have proven to be effective in teaching object-oriented concepts and maintaining the interest of novice programmers. Whether objects are covered early, late, or not at all, the instructor must recognize that today's students have grown up with video games, graphical user interfaces, and multimedia content. How can we hold their interest, give them assignments that they feel are relevant, and still teach such abstract concepts as objects, methods, control structures, and events? There is no magic bullet, but there are pedagogical tools that have proven to be effective in holding the students' interest as they work to master the fundamentals of object-oriented programming.