Between a Block and a Typeface
David Weintrop, Uri J. Wilensky · 2017
The last ten years have seen a proliferation of introductory programming environments designed for learners across the K-12 spectrum. These environments include visual block-based tools, text-based languages designed for novices, and, increasingly, hybrid environments that blend features of block-based and text-based programming. This paper presents results from a quasi-experimental study investigating the affordances of a hybrid block/text programming environment relative to comparable block-based and textual versions in an introductory high school computer science class. The analysis reveals the hybrid environment demonstrates characteristics of both ancestors while outperforming the block-based and text-based versions in certain dimensions. This paper contributes to our understanding of the design of introductory programming environments and the design challenge of creating and evaluating novel representations for learning.