Positive effects of computer programming on students understanding of variables and equations
John J. Clement, Jack Lochhead, Elliot M. Soloway · 1980
There is a common intuition among those in computer science that programming helps to develop good problem solving skills . Our work has attempted to isolate the specific factors in programming which enhance mathematical problem solving ability. We have found that a surprising number of college students have difficulty with very simple algebra word problems. However, significantly more students are able to solve these word problems correctly in the context of writing computer programs, than in the context of simply writing an algebraic equation. We obtained similar results in comparing the reading of algebraic equations within computer programs and the reading of algebraic equations by themselves. Computer programming apparently puts an emphasis precisely on the active , procedural semantics of equations that many students lack.