Studying Programming

Studying Programming is co-authored by Sally Fincher and eight other members of the Computer Education Research Group at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. All are practising computer science (CS) academics with a research interest in CS education. They bring to this book their individual specialist areas of computer education research.

SALLY FINCHER is Lecturer in the Computing Laboratory at the University of Kent where she leads the Computer Education Research Group. She is editor of the Journal Computer Science Education jointly with Renee McCauley

The other authors from the Computer Education Research Group are:

DAVID BARNES is a Lecturer at the University of Kent.

JANET CARTER teaches Mathematics, Formal Reasoning and Network Analysis to Computer Science students.

ALIY FOWLER is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Kent.

URSULA FULLER is Dean of Science, Technology and Medical Studies at the University of Kent.

MATTHEW JADUD is a PhD student at the University of Kent.

COLIN JOHNSON is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Kent.

BOB KEIM is a Lecturer in Computing at the University of Kent-Medway.

JANET LININGTON is a Lecturer in the Computing Laboratory at the University of Kent.

We've written this book to support students in studying programming. It is not a text to teach any particular programming language, but to be used alongside such a book, or in conjunction with a taught course. In Studying Programming we concentrate on what other books consider too 'obvious' or too 'basic'. We explain the ideas that others assume you know, we describe the things that can make learning to program a frustrating experience if you don't know them. We stay with you through the process from starting with your very first blank screen to working on complex problems within a team.

Studying Programming has been written by nine members of the Computing Education Research Group at the University of Kent. All of us are practicing computing academics who also have a research interest in CS education. So we have a strong classroom background - teaching students on a daily basis - and a strong research background, knowing what has been investigated (and written on) with regard to students' knowledge, conception and difficulties in introductory programming.

This book is designed to support a student in studying programming. It is not intended to teach any particular programming language, but to be used alongside such a book, or in conjunction with a formal course. A distinctive feature of the approach is the focus on the processes that students experience while learning to program. The book adopts a structure that mirrors the conceptual and developmental steps that a student takes from confronting their very first blank screen to working on complex problems within a team.

Complements any introductory programming textbook Discusses computingfocused study skills Can be read in preparation for formal study Is not languagespecific, so can support any programming course

GETTING STARTED.- Who is this Book for?.- What is Programming?.- Everyone Makes Mistakes.- YOUR FIRST PROGRAM.- Before You Start.- Writing Your First Program.- The Nature of Errors.- YOUR NEXT PROGRAMS.- The Many Ways of Programming.- Writing Bigger Programs.- Becoming a Detective.- IT ALL GETS INTERESTING.- Grappling With Design.- Writing Your Nth Program.- Juggling all the Pieces.- OTHER LANGUAGES.- Why Do We Have Different Programming Languages?.- Exploiting Your Programming Skills.- Taking Programming Further.- HERE BE DRAGONS.- How Languages Differ.- In Closing.- References.- Index.