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Factors related to FORTRAN programming proficiency of Singapore Polytechnic students
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Type
Thesis
Author
Tan, Ping Kong
Supervisor
Chen, Ai Yen
Abstract
Few research had been done on the cognitive and affective determinants associated with learning of computer programming. Most research efforts on computing seems to target at the hardware, getting machine to perform faster and more efficiently or at the software, where methods for composition and programme performance consideration are at issue. However, in the fields of mathematics and science education, a great deal of research has been devoted to discovering the determinants, both cognitive and affective, associated with successful student performance in mathematics or science.
The identification of these characteristics is considered to be of primary importance, not only because of the desire to validate theories of learning, but because of the practical need to make decisions about selection, placement and treatment of students.
What had been overlooked to a large extent, in the field of computer programming, is the role played by people. Hence there is a need to assess the fundamental psychological processes, i.e. the cognitive characteristics and informing processing characteristics which an individual takes into the programming environment. By assessing the relationships between profiles of individual differences in cognitive functioning and basic programming skills, it is hoped that some understanding can be obtained of how these cognitive characteristics are implemented in the performance of programming tasks.
The hypotheses of this study were based on the notion that programmer needs to be able to extract relevant information from computer programmes from a task description. The programmer's ability to do this would depend on his ability in extracting information and constraint of the computer language used.
Most researchers describe computer programming as consisting of a number of identifiable stages, each requiring a different kind of cognitive activity. In general, their analysis describe the following tasks : problem specification, design, coding and debugging.
The identification of these characteristics is considered to be of primary importance, not only because of the desire to validate theories of learning, but because of the practical need to make decisions about selection, placement and treatment of students.
What had been overlooked to a large extent, in the field of computer programming, is the role played by people. Hence there is a need to assess the fundamental psychological processes, i.e. the cognitive characteristics and informing processing characteristics which an individual takes into the programming environment. By assessing the relationships between profiles of individual differences in cognitive functioning and basic programming skills, it is hoped that some understanding can be obtained of how these cognitive characteristics are implemented in the performance of programming tasks.
The hypotheses of this study were based on the notion that programmer needs to be able to extract relevant information from computer programmes from a task description. The programmer's ability to do this would depend on his ability in extracting information and constraint of the computer language used.
Most researchers describe computer programming as consisting of a number of identifiable stages, each requiring a different kind of cognitive activity. In general, their analysis describe the following tasks : problem specification, design, coding and debugging.
Date Issued
1992
Call Number
QA76.73.F25 Tan
Date Submitted
1992