Why the Rhetoric of CS Programming Assignments Matters
Joanna L. Wolfe · Computer Science Education · 2004
Despite the multiple potential benefits of asking students working on programming tasks to consider human factors, most programming assignments narrowly focus on technical details and requirements. Female students in particular may be attracted to assignments that emphasize human as well as technical factors. To assess how students respond to changes in the rhetorical presentation of programming instructions, 81 students completed questionnaires evaluating different assignment instructions. Students generally perceived assignments emphasizing real-world contexts and users as more motivating and enjoyable to program than those that did not emphasize human factors. Moreover, when asked what makes a "good" programming assignment, over half of the students volunteered that they looked for assignments stressing a real-world purpose, use or application.