In this paper, we analyze 32,000 Java programming assessments submitted to the CodeRunner platform by introductory programming students. We identify common sequences of errors and link these patterns with observations...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781450390705
In this paper, we analyze 32,000 Java programming assessments submitted to the CodeRunner platform by introductory programming students. We identify common sequences of errors and link these patterns with observations of code that compiles but still contains logical errors. We establish reoccurring errors and common error pathways through a Markov chain analysis of attempts and use Association Rule Mining to link common error patterns with logical errors that occur later in the attempts. As a result, we provide a number of suggestions for instructors of introductory Java courses regarding how to potentially navigate these issues in their teaching practice and discuss possible pedagogical interventions on the basis of our observations.
It is well known that programming error messages can be notoriously difficult for novices to understand, hampering progress and leading to frustration. In response, researchers have explored various approaches for enh...
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ISBN:
(纸本)9781450368742
It is well known that programming error messages can be notoriously difficult for novices to understand, hampering progress and leading to frustration. In response, researchers have explored various approaches for enhancing such messages, yet results from this active strand of research are currently mixed. Direct comparisons of results between studies is challenging as these typically investigate different kinds of message enhancements and report results using different metrics. In addition, many prior studies have involved code writing tasks. In such cases, not all students encounter the same errors and messages, and it is difficult to isolate the time spent interpreting messages and resolving errors from the time spent writing code. In this research, we explore the effects of presenting novices with compiler errormessages designed using the most recent collection of published guidelines - specifically, more easily readable, short, positive messages containing resolution hints. To accurately determine the time and effort required to read and respond to the messages, we utilise a debugging task where all students are presented the same code and therefore encounter the same errors. We present results of a randomised controlled experiment (n > 700) which shows that, compared to standard errormessages, the messages we tested resulted in significantly shorter debugging times and higher self-reported scores of message usefulness for students in the very early stages of learning a new language.
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