Introductory programming: a systematic literature review

As computing becomes a mainstream discipline embedded in the school curriculum and acts as an enabler for an increasing range of academic disciplines in higher education, the literature on introductory programming is growing. Although there have been several reviews that focus on specific aspects of introductory programming, there has been no broad overview of the literature exploring recent trends across the breadth of introductory programming. This paper is the report of an ITiCSE working group that conducted a systematic review in order to gain an overview of the introductory programming literature. Partitioning the literature into papers addressing the student, teaching, the curriculum, and assessment, we explore trends, highlight advances in knowledge over the past 15 years, and indicate possible directions for future research

Teaching Software Engineering with Free Open Source Software Development: An Experience Report

We report on the design and delivery of a senior Software Engineering course within the limits of a Computer Science program. The course is structured around a collaboration with a large, active Free Open Source Software project. We show how this structure allows us to (a) incorporate principles of Project Based Learning and of Service Learning, reaping the benefits of these pedagogies, (b) effectively, using a hands-on approach, teach a number of essential topics in Software Engineering, (c) provide the students with a capstone project experience, given the lack of one in our curriculum, and (d) use the project as a powerful motivating factor for the students. We outline the experiences of the course instructor, of the teaching assistants team, and of the students of the course. We also describe the experience of the lead developers of this open source project, and report on the benefits and costs (time commitment) to the project

Creating a User Satisfaction Index from a Parsimonious Survey Instrument

In this paper we present a comprehensive method for creating a user satisfaction index using a survey instrument. First we construct a parsimonious survey instrument, using the PageRank Centrality, to measure attributes of user satisfaction. Then confirmatory factor analysis is applied to extract ``weights\u27\u27 on the questions that are used in a linear model of computing the user satisfaction index. Throughout the paper an analysis of an existing data set is implemented to illustrate the proposed method. In addition the validity of the confirmatory factor model is tested using bootstrap sampling

Teaching Software Componentization: A Bar Chart Java Bean

In the current object-oriented paradigm, software construction increasingly involves creating and utilizing software components. These components can serve a variety of functions, from common algorithmic processes to database connectivity to graphical interfaces. The advantage of component architectures is that programmers can use pre-existing components to simplify their programming tasks and to facilitate rapid application development. In the Java world, components are implemented as Java Beans, which can be used in most Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) to construct user interface designs via form builders. This article describes a programming assignment for an advanced information systems course in which students create a graphical software component. In addition, the article discusses potential follow-up assignments in which the component can be used in useful software applications

The Road We’ve Traveled: 12 Years of Undergraduate Software Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology

In 1996, the Rochester Institute of Technology launched the first undergraduate software engineering program in North America. This paper briefly reviews the development of the program, and describes the program’s evolution up to the present. We illuminate both the constant aspects of the program – what we believe we got right – as well as the changes made in light of pedagogical, technological and disciplinary advances. We conclude by considering the current and future challenges for undergraduate software engineering education both at RIT and elsewhere