| 1. |
- Boustedt, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Threshold concepts in computer science : do they exist and are they useful?
- 2007
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Ingår i: SIGCSE Bulletin inroads. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 0097-8418. ; 39:1, s. 504-508
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Yes, and Yes.We are currently undertaking an empirical investigation of “Threshold Concepts” in Computer Science, with input from both instructors and students. We have found good empirical evidence that at least two concepts—Object-oriented programming and pointers—are Threshold Concepts, and that there are potentially many more others.In this paper, we present results gathered using various experimental techniques, and discuss how Threshold Concepts can affect the learning process.
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| 2. |
- McCartney, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Liminal Spaces and Learning Computing
- 2009
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Ingår i: European Journal of Engineering Education. - Abingdon : Taylor & Francis. - 0304-3797 .- 1469-5898. ; 34:4, s. 383-391
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- “Threshold concepts” are concepts that, among other things, transform the way a student looks at a discipline. Although the term “threshold” might suggest that the transformation occurs at a specific point in time, an “aha” moment, it seems more common (at least in computing) that a longer time period is required. This time period is referred to as the “liminal space.” In this paper, we summarise our findings concerning how computing students experience the liminal space and discuss how this might affect teaching. Most of our findings so far relate to software engineering. As similar liminal spaces likely occur in other engineering disciplines, these findings have relevance across engineering education.
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| 3. |
- Moström, Jan Erik, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Concrete examples of abstraction as manifested in students’ transformative experiences
- 2008
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Ingår i: ICER '08. - New York : ACM. - 9781605582160 ; , s. 125-136
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper examines transformational learning experiences of computing students as a way to better understand threshold concepts in computing. From empirical evidence we found that students often describe transformative experiences as learning situations in which they were led to use various kinds of abstraction, for example modularity, data abstraction, inheritance, polymorphism, reuse, design patterns, and complexity. Some students describe an abstract concept as coming first, and then needing to be made concrete though application; others describe transformations in which they learn the advantages of these abstract concepts from their experience of not using them.Abstraction is certainly of central importance in computer science. It appears, however, from our students’ descriptions of transformative experiences, that abstraction per se is not a threshold, but that particular concepts in which abstraction is paramount exhibit the characteristics of threshold concepts.
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| 4. |
- Sanders, Kate, et al.
(författare)
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Student understanding of object-oriented programming as expressed in concept maps
- 2008
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Ingår i: SIGCSE Bulletin inroads. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 0097-8418. ; 40:1, s. 332-336
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper, we present the results of an experiment in which we sought to elicit students’ understanding of objectoriented (OO) concepts using concept maps. Our analysis confirmed earlier research indicating that students do not have a firm grasp on the distinction between “class” and “instance.” Unlike earlier research, we found that our students generally connect classes with both data and behavior. Students rarely included any mention of the hardware/software context of programs, their users, or their real-world domains. Students do mention inheritance, but not encapsulation or abstraction. And the picture they draw of OO is a static one: we found nothing that could be construed as referring to interaction among objects in a program. We then discuss the implications for teaching introductory OO programming.
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| 5. |
- Zander, Carol, et al.
(författare)
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Student transformations : are they computer scientists yet?
- 2009
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Ingår i: ICER '09. - New York : ACM. - 9781605586151 ; , s. 129-140
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examine the changes in the ways computing students view their field as they learn, as reported by the students themselves in short written biographies. In many ways, these changes result in students thinking and acting more like computer scientists and identifying more with the computing community. Most of the changes are associated with programming and software engineering, rather than theoretical computer science, however.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Eckerdal, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Can Graduating Students Design Software Systems?
- 2006
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Ingår i: SIGCSE Bulletin inroads. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 0097-8418. ; 38:1, s. 403-407
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper examines software designs produced by students nearing completion of their Computer Science degrees. The results of this multi-national, multi institutional experiment present some interesting implications for educators.
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| 9. |
- Eckerdal, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Categorizing student software designs : methods, results, and implications
- 2006
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Ingår i: Computer Science Education. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0899-3408 .- 1744-5175. ; 16:3, s. 197-209
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper examines the problem of studying and comparing student software designs. We propose semantic categorization as a way to organize widely varying data items. We describe how this was used to organize a particular multi-national, multi-institutional dataset, and present the results of this analysis: most students are unable to effectively design software. We examine how these designs vary with different academic and demographic factors, and discuss the implications of this work on both education and education research.
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