SIGCSE UK Journal Club: Quintin and Maria on code comprehension

Published: 24 October 2022

Quintin and Maria lead the SIGCSE UK Journal Club in March, sharing their work published at CEP '23.

TITLE: Introducing Modelling and Code Comprehension from the First Days of an Introductory Programming Class.
SPEAKER: Quintin Cutts & Maria Kallia
DATE: March 6th 2023
TIME: 14:00-15:00
ABSTRACT:
An approach to code comprehension in an introductory programming class is presented, drawing on the Text Surface, Functional and Machine aspects of Schulte's Block Model, and emphasising programming as a modelling activity involving problem and machine domains.  To visually connect the domains and a program, a key diagram conceptualising the three aspects lies at the approach's heart, alongside instructional exposition and exercises, which are all presented.  Students find the approach challenging initially, but most recognise its value later, and identify, unexpectedly, the value of the approach for problem decomposition, planning and coding.  

First published: 24 October 2022

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Speakers: Dr Quintin I Cutts & Dr Maria Kallia

Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1145/3573260.3573266

SIGCSE UK event: https://sigcse.cs.manchester.ac.uk/2023/02/07/sigman-33/