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Code comprehension problems as learning events

Published: 03 July 2012 Publication History

Abstract

Code comprehension problems have been shown to be effective assessment items in computer science education. In this paper we present qualitative and quantitative results of a study evaluating the effectiveness of code comprehension questions with feedback as learning events. Students taking an introductory programming course that satisfies a university requirement interacted with an online tutoring system using code comprehension problems about simple array algorithms as a part of a homework assignment. Students answered the problems in their own words first, before selecting a multiple choice option from the system.
Both the open-ended and multiple-choice responses were collected and analyzed. Results indicate that code comprehension questions with appropriate feedback can be learning events. The use of open-ended and multiple choice responses to the same question is also shown to be useful in refining distracter items for future assessment. Recommendations from this study can be applied not only to tutoring systems, but also to the type of interactions used in worked examples in class lecture and textbook production.

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cover image ACM Conferences
ITiCSE '12: Proceedings of the 17th ACM annual conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education
July 2012
424 pages
ISBN:9781450312462
DOI:10.1145/2325296
Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Published: 03 July 2012

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Author Tags

  1. code comprehension
  2. feedback
  3. tutoring system
  4. worked examples

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Cited By

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  • (2024)Investigating the impact of logical reasoning in honing code comprehension skills: An empirical analysisProceedings of the 2024 Sixteenth International Conference on Contemporary Computing10.1145/3675888.3676024(35-41)Online publication date: 8-Aug-2024
  • (2024)Explaining Code with a Purpose: An Integrated Approach for Developing Code Comprehension and Prompting SkillsProceedings of the 2024 on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3649217.3653587(283-289)Online publication date: 3-Jul-2024
  • (2023)Code Reading: How Students and Professionals DifferJournal of Computing Sciences in Colleges10.5555/3636517.363652139:1(28-37)Online publication date: 6-Dec-2023
  • (2023)Comparing Code Explanations Created by Students and Large Language ModelsProceedings of the 2023 Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3587102.3588785(124-130)Online publication date: 29-Jun-2023
  • (2022)Using Annotations for Sensemaking About CodeProceedings of the 35th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3526113.3545667(1-16)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2022
  • (2022)Automated Code Tracing Exercises for CS1Proceedings of the 6th Conference on Computing Education Practice10.1145/3498343.3498347(13-16)Online publication date: 6-Jan-2022
  • (2021)DiGen: Distractor Generator for Multiple Choice Questions in Code Comprehension2021 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology & Education (TALE)10.1109/TALE52509.2021.9678662(1073-1078)Online publication date: 5-Dec-2021
  • (2021)Enhancing postgraduate students’ technical skills: perceptions of modified team-based learning in a six-week multi-subject Bootcamp-style CS courseComputer Science Education10.1080/08993408.2021.195917433:2(186-210)Online publication date: 30-Jul-2021
  • (2020)Atoms of ConfusionProceedings of the XXXIV Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering10.1145/3422392.3422437(243-252)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2020
  • (2019)Fostering Program Comprehension in Novice Programmers - Learning Activities and Learning TrajectoriesProceedings of the Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3344429.3372501(27-52)Online publication date: 18-Dec-2019
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