Article

Free access

Cogito, Ergo sum! cognitive processes of students dealing with data structures

Author:

Dan AharoniAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE '00: Proceedings of the thirty-first SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

Pages 26 - 30

https://doi.org/10.1145/330908.331804

Published: 01 March 2000 Publication History

PDF eReader

Abstract

A research that has just recently been finished, investigated thinking processes that occur in the minds of students dealing with data structures. The research findings are pointed out in this paper, and two of them are elaborated. One is the phenomenon of programming-context thinking. This type of thinking stems from comparatively low level of abstraction gained by students in a data structures course. Programming-context thinking is the cause of other phenomena found in the research, and one such phenomenon — perception of a data structure as static or dynamic — is also elaborated. Implications for data structures instruction are discussed.

Apart from presenting the research results, this paper serves as an example of cognitive research — a kind of research that is still not broadly enough done in Computer Science Education. It is one purpose of this paper to manifest the need for more such research.

References

[1]

Ben-Ari, M. Constructivism in Computer Science Education. Proceedings of the twenty-ninth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education (SIGCSE '98), 257-261, Atlanta, GA, 1998.

Digital Library

Google Scholar

[2]

Bogdan, R.C., & Biklen, S. K. Qualitative research .lbr education. Boston: Allyn And Bacon, 1992.

Google Scholar

[3]

Breidenbach, D., Dubinsky, E, Hawksl J., & Nichols, D. Development of the process conception of function. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 23, 247-285, 1992.

Crossref

Google Scholar

[4]

Brooks, J.G., & Brooks, M.G. The case for constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1993.

Google Scholar

[5]

Davis, R.B., & Maher, C.A. What do we do when we "do mathematics"? In R. B. Davis, C. A. Maher & N. Noddings (Eds.), Constructivist views on the teaching and learning of mathematics (Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME), monograph No. 4, chap. 8, pp. 65-78). The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc., 1990.

Google Scholar

[6]

Erlwanger, S.H. Benny's conception of rules and answers in IPI mathematics. The Journal of Children's Mathematical Behavior (JCMB), 1 (2), 7- 26, 1973.

Google Scholar

[7]

Harel, G. Two Dual Assertions: The first on learning and the second on teaching (Or v/ce versa). The American Mathematical Monthly, 105, 497-507, 1998.

Crossref

Google Scholar

[8]

Kilpatrick, J. What constructivism might be in mathematics education. In J.C. Bergeron, N. Herscovics, & C. Kieran (Eds.), Proceedings of the eleventh International Conj~rence for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PMEI I): Vol. I (pp. 3- 27). Montr6al, 1987.

Google Scholar

[9]

LeCompte, M.D., & Preissle, J. Ethnography and qualitative design in educational research. San Diego: Academic Press, 1993.

Google Scholar

[10]

Leron, U. Abstraction barriers in mathematics and computer science. In J. Hilel (Ed.), Proceedings of the third International Con./brence for Logo and Mathematics Education. Montr6al, 1987.

Google Scholar

[11]

Leron, U., & Hazzan, O. The world according to Johnny: A coping perspective in mathematics education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 32, 265-292, 1997.

Crossref

Google Scholar

[12]

Sfard, A. On the dual nature of mathematical conceptions: Reflections on processes and objects as different sides of the same coin. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 22, 1-36, 1991.

Crossref

Google Scholar

[13]

Zaslavskey, O. (Ed.) Proceedings of the 23rd conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME23). Haifa, Israel: Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, 1999.

Google Scholar

Cited By

View all

Begum MCrossley JStrömbäck FAkrida EAlpizar-Chacon IEvans AGross JHaglund PLonati VSatyavolu CThorgeirsson SMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2025)A Pedagogical Framework for Developing Abstraction Skills2024 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3689187.3709613(258-299)Online publication date: 22-Jan-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689187.3709613
Nakar LArmoni MStone JYuen TShoop LRebelsky SPrather J(2025)Aiming Towards Abstraction: Does Algorithmic-Pattern-Oriented Instruction Promote the Teaching of Abstraction?Proceedings of the 56th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3641554.3701914(812-818)Online publication date: 12-Feb-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641554.3701914
Bellettini CLonati VMonga MMorpurgo AStephenson BStone JBattestilli LRebelsky SShoop L(2024)To Be Or Not To Be . . . An Algorithm: The Notion According to Students and TeachersProceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3626252.3630950(102-108)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626252.3630950
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Recommendations

Cogito, Ergo sum! cognitive processes of students dealing with data structures

A research that has just recently been finished, investigated thinking processes that occur in the minds of students dealing with data structures. The research findings are pointed out in this paper, and two of them are elaborated. One is the phenomenon ...
Infringo ergo sum: when will software engineering support infringements?
FoSER '10: Proceedings of the FSE/SDP workshop on Future of software engineering research

Once upon a time a professor of computing and a father was complaining at a radiology ward. A CD with the X-rays of his son's chest had garbled images. Unfortunately, the CD burning process has been outsourced and, in compliance with e-health security ...
“Cogito, Ergo Sum”

The academic disputes between the “humanistic” and the “mechanistic” schools of management theory are essentially sterile because they both focus primarily on the arrangement of activities within an organization. They tend to move rather casually over ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

SIGCSE '00: Proceedings of the thirty-first SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

May 2000

429 pages

ISBN:1581132131

DOI:10.1145/330908

Chairmen:
Boots Cassel,
Nell Dale,
Henry Walker,
Editor:
Susan Haller

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 32, Issue 1
Mar. 2000
429 pages
ISSN:0097-8418
DOI:10.1145/331795
Editor:
John Impagliazzo
Hofstra Univ., Hemstead, NY
Issue’s Table of Contents

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

Publisher

Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 2000

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Request Permissions

Check for updates

Qualifiers

Article

Conference

SIGCSE00

Sponsor:

SIGCSE

SIGCSE00: The SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

March 7 - 12, 2000

Texas, Austin, USA

Acceptance Rates

SIGCSE '00 Paper Acceptance Rate 78 of 220 submissions, 35%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 1,787 of 5,146 submissions, 35%

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

48
Total Citations
View Citations
897
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)150
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)29

Reflects downloads up to 27 Feb 2025

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

View all

Begum MCrossley JStrömbäck FAkrida EAlpizar-Chacon IEvans AGross JHaglund PLonati VSatyavolu CThorgeirsson SMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2025)A Pedagogical Framework for Developing Abstraction Skills2024 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3689187.3709613(258-299)Online publication date: 22-Jan-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689187.3709613
Nakar LArmoni MStone JYuen TShoop LRebelsky SPrather J(2025)Aiming Towards Abstraction: Does Algorithmic-Pattern-Oriented Instruction Promote the Teaching of Abstraction?Proceedings of the 56th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3641554.3701914(812-818)Online publication date: 12-Feb-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3641554.3701914
Bellettini CLonati VMonga MMorpurgo AStephenson BStone JBattestilli LRebelsky SShoop L(2024)To Be Or Not To Be . . . An Algorithm: The Notion According to Students and TeachersProceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3626252.3630950(102-108)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626252.3630950
Nakar LFriebroon MArmoni M(2023)From Modelling to Assessing Algorithmic Abstraction – the Missing DimensionProceedings of the 23rd Koli Calling International Conference on Computing Education Research10.1145/3631802.3631815(1-12)Online publication date: 13-Nov-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3631802.3631815
Nakar LArmoni M(2023)On Teaching Abstraction in Computer Science: Secondary-School Teachers' Perceptions vs. PracticesProceedings of the 2023 Conference on United Kingdom & Ireland Computing Education Research10.1145/3610969.3611124(1-7)Online publication date: 7-Sep-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3610969.3611124
Gaber IArmoni MStatter D(2021)Teaching Reduction as an Algorithmic Problem-Solving Strategy2021 3rd International Conference on Computer Science and Technologies in Education (CSTE)10.1109/CSTE53634.2021.00012(19-26)Online publication date: May-2021
https://doi.org/10.1109/CSTE53634.2021.00012
Hazzan ORagonis NLapidot THazzan ORagonis NLapidot T(2020)High School Computer Science Teacher Preparation ProgramsGuide to Teaching Computer Science10.1007/978-3-030-39360-1_17(371-392)Online publication date: 6-Aug-2020
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39360-1_17
Hazzan OLapidot TRagonis NHazzan OLapidot TRagonis N(2015)High School Computer Science Teacher Preparation ProgramsGuide to Teaching Computer Science10.1007/978-1-4471-6630-6_15(269-283)Online publication date: 8-Jan-2015
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6630-6_15
Bower MMcIver ARößling GNaps TSpannagel C(2011)Continual and explicit comparison to promote proactive facilitation during second computer language learningProceedings of the 16th annual joint conference on Innovation and technology in computer science education10.1145/1999747.1999809(218-222)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2011
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1999747.1999809
Hazzan OLapidot TRagonis NHazzan OLapidot TRagonis N(2011)High School Computer Science Teacher Preparation ProgramsGuide to Teaching Computer Science10.1007/978-0-85729-443-2_15(235-246)Online publication date: 22-Mar-2011
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-443-2_15
Show More Cited By

View Options

View options

PDF

View or Download as a PDF file.

PDF

eReader

View online with eReader.

eReader

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Cited By

Index Terms

Recommendations

Cogito, Ergo sum! cognitive processes of students dealing with data structures

Infringo ergo sum: when will software engineering support infringements?

“Cogito, Ergo Sum”