Teaching Planning - Guide to Teaching Computer Science: An Activity-Based Approach - page 207

Table 11.1 Examples from the computer science education literature and their possible imple-
mentations for the teaching planning of a study unit of arrays
Examples of computer science education research
works that discuss learning and teaching array

Possible implementation for teaching
planning

A game that teaches loops and arrays in an interac-
tive and visual way (Eagle and Barnes 2008 )

Use the suggested game, or, alterna-
tively, apply the game rational and ideas
for the development of another game

Array algorithms are defined as functional algo-
rithms where each step of the algorithm results in
a function being applied on an array, producing an
array as a result. The rationale for teaching array
algorithms is given together with an example, which
shows that array algorithms sometimes lead to sur-
prising results (Howland 2005 )

Learn this kind of algorithms, and see
what can be adapted from the rational
of its teaching and from the example

Examination whether the shift to the object-oriented
programming and the application of the objects-first
or objects-early approach to CS1 requires to reevalu-
ate the following pedagogical question: What should
the first data structure students are exposed to be? Is
it an array or another kind of collection, for example,
a map? (Ventura et al. 2004 )

A critical thinking is encouraged with
respect to the first data structure to
teach

Examination whether the shift to object-oriented
programming techniques calls for a significant shift
in the approach of teaching recursion. Should simple
recursive structures, such as linked lists and methods
that process them, be introduced before procedural
examples? (Bruce et al. 2005 )

A critical thinking is fostered with
respect to data structures from the
recursion point of view (see also
Chap. 12): What data structures should
be taught earlier? Can the chosen data
structure be manipulated by recursion
procedures?

Examination which algorithm of array sorting is bet-
ter to introduce first, and what difficulties learners
may face (Nieminen 2006 , 2008 )

Thinking about the order of teaching
different array sorting algorithms and
being aware of possible obstacles

A blog resource about the history of sorting algo-
rithms (Abhiram 2009 )

This resource can form a basis for
a web-based activity (see Sect. 8.5
Using the Internet in the Teaching of
Computer Science). This is an example
(among many others that can be found
on the web) of using an online resource

Beginning students performed significantly better
when using of test-driven development (TDD)
approach using WebIDE. Data presented specifically
on arrays (Hilton and Janzen 2012 )

This resource can form a basis for an
inquiry lab-activity (see Sect. 8.3 Lab-
First Approach)

1. The lesson's main objective is to let the pupils realize the basic need for arrays
and to facilitate basic manipulations of arrays.
2. The subtopics to be addressed in this lesson are the basic structure of array, a cell
index, cell content, and basic scans of array.
3. The lesson operational targets are:
− Learners become aware of simple kinds of tasks for which arrays are needed.
− Learners know how to access an array cell.