Peer Reviewed Journal via three different mandatory reviewing processes, since 2006, and, from September 2020, a fourth mandatory peer-editing has been added.
The nature of problems typically tackled in initial programming
courses can lead students to dismiss problem solving techniques
and processes. Faculty and students in Programming 1 and 2
classes are prone to focus on the mechanics and syntax of
programming at the expense of building increasingly complex
and realistic models of the solution. To motivate undergraduate
students to accept the importance of flowcharts, pseudo-code,
documentation, and other development tools, we present a
series of active learning lessons for introductory programming
classes built and tested at Valparaiso University. These lessons
introduce development tools and problem solving as vital
components of an overall solution and provide opportunities for
students to see their value in real world applications. Following
the lessons, 100% of the students recognized the importance of
development tools, and 95% of the students identified a desire
to learn more about how they can be used.
