Learners’ Alternative Conceptions - Guide to Teaching Computer Science: An Activity-Based Approach - page 92

6

Learners' Alternative Conceptions

Abstract

This chapter focuses on learners' alternative conceptions. Since prospective
teachers in general, and prospective computer science teachers in particular, face
difficulties in gaining the notion of alternative conceptions, it is important to ad-
dress this issue in the MTCS course and to deliver the message that a learning
opportunity exists in each pupils' mistake (or misunderstanding). Several peda-
gogical tools for exposing learners' alternative conceptions are presented as well
as three activities to be facilitated in the MTCS course.

6.1 Introduction

This chapter focuses on learners' alternative conceptions. “Alternative conceptions”
is the customary term used nowadays for what was frequently called misconcep-
tions in the past. The term alternative conceptions is used in this guide to highlight
the legitimacy of these learners' conceptions, especially in the early learning stages.
Chapter 4 elaborates on mistakes and misconceptions. It emphasizes that mis-
takes should not necessarily be conceived negatively since they provide learners
with the opportunity to correct their current knowledge and update their mental
representation of the said topic or concept.
From a pedagogical perspective, since in many cases, misconceptions are con-
sistent, systematic, are based on some modification of correct knowledge, and are
stable in attempts to change them, teachers should look for misconceptions and
help learners correct them by addressing their source. Further, the occurrences of
learners' mistakes encourage teachers to use different tools to help learners improve
their understanding.
In practice, a teacher cannot effectively deal with alternative conceptions with-
out being aware of their mere existence, since alternative conceptions are not