skip to main content
article

Controversy on how to teach CS 1: a discussion on the SIGCSE-members mailing list

Published: 01 June 2005 Publication History

Abstract

A discussion took place on the SIGCSE mailing list in late March of 2004 that raised important issues on how to teach introductory courses using Java. This article attempts to summarize several of the important points raised during this discussion, among them whether or how objects should be taught early or late in a CS 1 course, or indeed, whether object-oriented languages should be postponed until a second course.

References

[1]
{BDM01} Kim B. Bruce, Andrea Danyluk, and Thomas Murtagh. A library to support a graphics-based object-first approach to CS 1. In Proceedings of the thirty-second SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 6--10. ACM Press, 2001.
[2]
{BFG+03} O. Berge, A. Fjuk, A. K. Groven, H. Hegna, and J. Kaasbll. Comprehensive object-oriented learning - an introduction. Journal of Computer Science Education, 13(4):331--335, 2003.
[3]
{BK04} David J. Barnes and Michael Klling. Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction using BlueJ. Prentice Hall /Pearson Education, 2nd edition, 2004.
[4]
{Boa03} The College Board. Marine biology simulation case study. available on-line, 2003. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/compsci a/case.html.
[5]
{BSRP04} Joseph Bergin, Mark Stehlik, Jim Roberts, and Richard Pattis. Karel J. Robot: A gentle introduction to the art of object-oriented programming in Java. Unpublished, 2004.
[6]
{CDP03} Stephen Cooper, Wanda Dann, and Randy Pausch. Teaching objects-first in introductory computer science. In Proceedings of the 34th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, pages 191--195. ACM Press, 2003.
[7]
{For04} ACM Java Task Force. Taxonomy of problems in teaching Java (draft), 2004. http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/java/java-problem-taxonomy. html.
[8]
{MB02} Jeffrey J. McConnell and Debra T. Burhans. The evolution of CS1 textbooks. In Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education, pages T4G-1--T4G-6, 2002.
[9]
{Rob04a} Eric Roberts. The dream of a common language: the search for simplicity and stability in computer science education. In Proceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 115--119. ACM Press, 2004.
[10]
{Rob04b} Eric Roberts. Resources to support the use of Java in introductory computer science. In Proceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 233--234. ACM Press, 2004.
[11]
{RP98} Eric Roberts and Antoine Picard. Designing a Java graphics library for CS 1. In Proceedings of the 6th annual conference on the teaching of computing and the 3rd annual conference on Integrating technology into computer science education, pages 213--218. ACM Press, 1998.
[12]
{RRP01} Richard Rasala, Jeff Raab, and Viera K. Proulx. Java power tools: model software for teaching object-oriented design. In Proceedings of the thirty-second SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer Science Education, pages 297--301. ACM Press, 2001.
[13]
{TRSH99} Franklyn Turbak, Constance Royden, Jennifer Stephan, and Jean Herbst. Teaching recursion before iteration in CS1. The Journal of Computing in Small Colleges, 14(4):86--101, 1999.

Cited By

View all

Recommendations

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin  Volume 37, Issue 2
June 2005
120 pages
ISSN:0097-8418
DOI:10.1145/1083431
Issue’s Table of Contents

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 June 2005
Published in SIGCSE Volume 37, Issue 2

Check for updates

Author Tags

  1. CS 1
  2. Java
  3. controversy
  4. pedagogy

Qualifiers

  • Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

  • Downloads (Last 12 months)4
  • Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0
Reflects downloads up to 22 Feb 2025

Other Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all
  • (2022) Teaching Programming in the 21 st Century Journal of Computer Information Systems10.1080/08874417.2022.210893463:4(841-852)Online publication date: 18-Aug-2022
  • (2019)To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Recursive Question2019 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)10.1109/EDUCON.2019.8725191(1294-1299)Online publication date: Apr-2019
  • (2019)Programming Paradigms and BeyondThe Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research10.1017/9781108654555.014(377-413)Online publication date: 15-Feb-2019
  • (2019)The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research10.1017/9781108654555Online publication date: 15-Feb-2019
  • (2018)Introductory programming: a systematic literature reviewProceedings Companion of the 23rd Annual ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3293881.3295779(55-106)Online publication date: 2-Jul-2018
  • (2017)Challenges to integrate software testing into introductory programming courses2017 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)10.1109/FIE.2017.8190557(1-9)Online publication date: 18-Oct-2017
  • (2017)Evaluation of PILeT: Design guidelines, usability and learning outcomes results2017 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)10.1109/EDUCON.2017.7943059(1580-1584)Online publication date: Apr-2017
  • (2015)Python for Teaching Introductory Programming: A Quantitative EvaluationInnovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences10.11120/ital.2011.1001008610:1(86-90)Online publication date: 15-Dec-2015
  • (2014)Failure rates in introductory programming revisitedProceedings of the 2014 conference on Innovation & technology in computer science education10.1145/2591708.2591749(39-44)Online publication date: 21-Jun-2014
  • (2012)Trends in introductory programming courses in Australian universitiesProceedings of the Fourteenth Australasian Computing Education Conference - Volume 12310.5555/2483716.2483721(33-42)Online publication date: 31-Jan-2012
  • Show More Cited By

View Options

Login options

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

PDF

eReader

View online with eReader.

eReader

Figures

Tables

Media

Share

Share

Share this Publication link

Share on social media