Can computer programming improve problem-solving ability?
Jho-Ju Tu, John R. Johnson · ACM SIGCSE Bulletin · 1990
This paper reports the results of a study of the relationship between computer programming skills and problem-solving abilities. Students in two introductory programming courses (FORTRAN and PASCAL) of a large university served as the subjects for this study. Students' problem-solving abilities were assessed during the first month that each computer programming course commenced and again during the final month of the course. Analysis of pretest and posttest results indicated that students who had successfully completed all computer programming course requirements experienced significant improvement in their overall problem skills. Results also suggested that students who had successfully completed computer programming course requirements experienced significant improvement on the logical reasoning section of the problem-solving assessment.