%0 Journal Article %1 Miller:2011:PDM:2048931.2048933 %A Miller, Craig S. %A Settle, Amber %C New York, NY, USA %D 2011 %I ACM %J Trans. Comput. Educ. %K cs0 cs1 programming teaching %P 22:1--22:16 %R 10.1145/2048931.2048933 %T When Practice Doesn\’t Make Perfect: Effects of Task Goals on Learning Computing Concepts %U http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2048931.2048933 %V 11 %X Specifying file references for hypertext links is an elementary competence that nevertheless draws upon core computational thinking concepts such as tree traversal and the distinction between relative and absolute references. In this article we explore the learning effects of different instructional strategies in the context of an introductory computing course. Results suggest that asking students to do targeted tasks, albeit supported with working examples, is not the best preparation. Instead, unstructured study of examples produces superior learning. Answering targeted conceptual questions can also yield comparably positive learning but only in qualified contexts. While perhaps unintuitive, these results are consistent with a long line of research on human cognition and learning. We discuss our results in the context of this previous research and recommend effective instructional strategies, which may apply to a broad range of computational concepts.

@article{Miller:2011:PDM:2048931.2048933, abstract = {Specifying file references for hypertext links is an elementary competence that nevertheless draws upon core computational thinking concepts such as tree traversal and the distinction between relative and absolute references. In this article we explore the learning effects of different instructional strategies in the context of an introductory computing course. Results suggest that asking students to do targeted tasks, albeit supported with working examples, is not the best preparation. Instead, unstructured study of examples produces superior learning. Answering targeted conceptual questions can also yield comparably positive learning but only in qualified contexts. While perhaps unintuitive, these results are consistent with a long line of research on human cognition and learning. We discuss our results in the context of this previous research and recommend effective instructional strategies, which may apply to a broad range of computational concepts.}, acmid = {2048933}, added-at = {2012-01-11T12:21:45.000+0100}, address = {New York, NY, USA}, articleno = {22}, author = {Miller, Craig S. and Settle, Amber}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2cc822842e3a66bcab19d6f2d20cde4bf/ji}, description = {When Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect}, doi = {10.1145/2048931.2048933}, interhash = {1fce70b38175c4cbce4ab1a08ac388ee}, intrahash = {cc822842e3a66bcab19d6f2d20cde4bf}, issn = {1946-6226}, issue = {4}, issue_date = {November 2011}, journal = {Trans. Comput. Educ.}, keywords = {cs0 cs1 programming teaching}, month = nov, numpages = {16}, pages = {22:1--22:16}, publisher = {ACM}, timestamp = {2012-01-11T12:21:46.000+0100}, title = {When Practice Doesn\’t Make Perfect: Effects of Task Goals on Learning Computing Concepts}, url = {http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/2048931.2048933}, volume = 11, year = 2011 }