2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) | 2019
Towards the Identification of Profiles based on the Understanding of Programming Concepts: the Case of the Variable
Abstract
This Research Full Paper presents a longitudinal study aimed at identifying profiles describing freshers’ understanding of the programming concepts. The variable was chosen as a first case study. 108 students enrolled in a university introductory programming course were submitted to a concept inventory at four different times according to a precise schedule. This sample presents an interesting diversity: 64 students with a major in computer science and 44, in business engineering; 19 are females. Among these students, seven profiles were identified. At first glance, it appears that these profiles could be related to the consistency of students in terms of used mental models to solve variable assignment problems.