Program Comprehension with Physical Computing: A Structure, Function, and Behavior Analysis of Think-Alouds with High School Students

Gayithri Jayathirtha, Yasmin B. Kafai

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Comprehending programs is key to learning programming. Previous studies highlight novices' naive approaches to comprehending the structural, functional, and behavioral aspects of programs. And yet, with the majority of them examining on-screen programming environments, we barely know about program comprehension within physical computing-a common K-12 programming context. In this study, we qualitatively analyzed think-aloud interview videos of 22 high school students individually comprehending a given text-based Arduino program while interacting with its corresponding functional physical artifact to answer two questions: 1) How do novices comprehend the given text-based Arduino program? And, 2) What role does the physical artifact play in program comprehension? We found that novices mostly approached the program bottom-up, initially comprehending structural and later functional aspects, along different granularities. The artifact provided two distinct modes of engagement, active and interactive, that supported the program's structural and functional comprehension. However, behavioral comprehension i.e. understanding program execution leading to the observed outcome was inaccessible to many. Our findings extend program comprehension literature in two ways: (a) it provides one of the very few accounts of high school students' code comprehension in a physical computing context, and, (b) it highlights the mediating role of physical artifacts in program comprehension. Further, they point directions for future pedagogical and tool designs within physical computing to better support students' distributed program comprehension.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationITiCSE 2021 - Proceedings of the 26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages143-149
Number of pages7
ISBN (Electronic)9781450382144
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 26 2021
Externally publishedYes
Event26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2021 - Virtual, Online, Germany
Duration: Jun 26 2021Jul 1 2021

Publication series

NameAnnual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE
ISSN (Print)1942-647X

Conference

Conference26th ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, ITiCSE 2021
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityVirtual, Online
Period6/26/217/1/21

Keywords

  • electronic textiles
  • physical computing
  • program comprehension
  • secondary education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Management of Technology and Innovation
  • Education

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