research-article

An eye-tracking study assessing the comprehension of c++ and Python source code

Authors:

Rachel Turner,

Michael Falcone,

Bonita Sharif,

Alina LazarAuthors Info & Claims

ETRA '14: Proceedings of the Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications

Pages 231 - 234

https://doi.org/10.1145/2578153.2578218

Published: 26 March 2014 Publication History

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Abstract

A study to assess the effect of programming language on student comprehension of source code is presented, comparing the languages of C++ and Python in two task categories: overview and find bug tasks. Eye gazes are tracked while thirty-eight students complete tasks and answer questions. Results indicate no significant difference in accuracy or time, however there is a significant difference reported on the rate at which students look at buggy lines of code. These results start to provide some direction as to the effect programming language might have in introductory programming classes.

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Cited By

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Dempsey JTsiola ABosch NChristianson KStites M(2025)Eye-movement indices of reading while debugging Python source codeJournal of Cognitive Psychology10.1080/20445911.2024.244711737:2(89-107)Online publication date: 2-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2024.2447117
Alakmeh TReich DJäger LFritz T(2024)Predicting Code Comprehension: A Novel Approach to Align Human Gaze with Code using Deep Neural NetworksProceedings of the ACM on Software Engineering10.1145/36607951:FSE(1982-2004)Online publication date: 12-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3660795
Paltenghi MPandita RHenley AZiegler A(2024)Follow-Up Attention: An Empirical Study of Developer and Neural Model Code ExplorationIEEE Transactions on Software Engineering10.1109/TSE.2024.344533850:10(2568-2582)Online publication date: Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/TSE.2024.3445338
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Index Terms

An eye-tracking study assessing the comprehension of c++ and Python source code
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
    1. General programming languages
      1. Language features
2. Theory of computation
  1. Semantics and reasoning
    1. Program constructs

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Published In

ETRA '14: Proceedings of the Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications

March 2014

394 pages

ISBN:9781450327510

DOI:10.1145/2578153

Conference Chairs:
Pernilla Qvarfordt
FX Palo Alto Laboratory
,
Dan Witzner Hansen
IT University, Denmark

Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all 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 third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the Owner/Author.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

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Published: 26 March 2014

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ETRA '14

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ETRA '14: Eye Tracking Research and Applications

March 26 - 28, 2014

Florida, Safety Harbor

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Overall Acceptance Rate 69 of 137 submissions, 50%

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ETRA '25

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2025 Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications

May 26 - 29, 2025

Tokyo , Japan

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Dempsey JTsiola ABosch NChristianson KStites M(2025)Eye-movement indices of reading while debugging Python source codeJournal of Cognitive Psychology10.1080/20445911.2024.244711737:2(89-107)Online publication date: 2-Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1080/20445911.2024.2447117
Alakmeh TReich DJäger LFritz T(2024)Predicting Code Comprehension: A Novel Approach to Align Human Gaze with Code using Deep Neural NetworksProceedings of the ACM on Software Engineering10.1145/36607951:FSE(1982-2004)Online publication date: 12-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3660795
Paltenghi MPandita RHenley AZiegler A(2024)Follow-Up Attention: An Empirical Study of Developer and Neural Model Code ExplorationIEEE Transactions on Software Engineering10.1109/TSE.2024.344533850:10(2568-2582)Online publication date: Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/TSE.2024.3445338
Thilderkvist EDobslaw F(2024)On current limitations of online eye-tracking to study the visual processing of source codeInformation and Software Technology10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107502174:COnline publication date: 1-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/j.infsof.2024.107502
Grabinger LHauser FWolff CMottok J(2024)On Eye Tracking in Software EngineeringSN Computer Science10.1007/s42979-024-03045-35:6Online publication date: 26-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s42979-024-03045-3
Pacol CRodrigo MTablatin C(2024)A Comparative Study of High and Low Performing Students’ Visual Effort and Attention When Identifying Syntax ErrorsAugmented Cognition10.1007/978-3-031-61569-6_6(77-94)Online publication date: 1-Jun-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61569-6_6
Tablatin C(2023)Visual Attention Patterns in Finding Source Code DefectsWSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS10.37394/23209.2023.20.4020(375-389)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2023
https://doi.org/10.37394/23209.2023.20.40
AKÇAY AALTUN A(2023)Öznitelik Belirleme Yöntemleriyle Farklı Türde Hata Ayıklamada Önemli Göz Hareket Metriklerinin BelirlenmesiDetermining Important Eye Movement Metrics in Different Types of Debugging with Feature Selection MethodsGazi Üniversitesi Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi10.17152/gefad.119909643:2(757-784)Online publication date: 2-Sep-2023
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Mansoor NPeterson CDodd MSharif B(2023)Assessing the Effect of Programming Language and Task Type on Eye Movements of Computer Science StudentsACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/363253024:1(1-38)Online publication date: 14-Nov-2023
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Wyrich MBogner JWagner S(2023)40 Years of Designing Code Comprehension Experiments: A Systematic Mapping StudyACM Computing Surveys10.1145/362652256:4(1-42)Online publication date: 9-Nov-2023
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Assessing the Effect of Programming Language and Task Type on Eye Movements of Computer Science Students

Ironclad C++: a library-augmented type-safe subset of c++

Ironclad C++: a library-augmented type-safe subset of c++

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