Novices on the computer: a review of the literature
International Journal of Man-Machine Studies
The Psychology of How Novices Learn Computer Programming
ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR)
Software psychology: Human factors in computer and information systems (Winthrop computer systems series)
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This study examined the problem solving of a novice programmer writing a first draft of an elementary computer program. The latter stages of entering and debugging the program were not part of the analysis. A detailed analysis of the tape-recorded protocol confirmed the major themes of the research on novice problem solving. Some characteristics specific to programming were also identified. In particular, the subject emphasized the syntax of the language, showed little advanced planning, and organized her programming information in the order it had been presented in class. There were distinct phases of (a) understanding the problem, (b) devising a plan, and (c) carrying out the plan. There was also evidence of both positive and negative transfer from what the student had previously learned in class. A number of practical guidelines for teaching novices to program emerged from the analysis and the literature.