A Think-Aloud Study of Novice Debugging

Autor/inn/en	Whalley, Jacqueline; Settle, Amber; Luxton-Reilly, Andrew
Titel	A Think-Aloud Study of Novice Debugging
Quelle	In: ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 23 (2023) 2, Artikel 28 (38 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Whalley, Jacqueline) ORCID (Settle, Amber) ORCID (Luxton-Reilly, Andrew)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Protocol Analysis; Novices; Troubleshooting; Programming; Teaching Methods; Computer Science Education; Comprehension; Evidence Based Practice; Barriers + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Störfall; Programmierung; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Computer science lessons; Informatikunterricht; Verstehen; Verständnis
Abstract	Debugging is a core skill required by programmers, yet we know little about how to effectively teach the process of debugging. The challenges of learning debugging are compounded for novices who lack experience and are still learning the tools they need to program effectively. In this work, we report a case study in which we used a think-aloud protocol to gain insight into the behaviour of three students engaged in debugging tasks. Our qualitative analysis reveals a variety of helpful practices and barriers that limit the effectiveness of debugging. We observe that comprehension, evidence-based activities, and workflow practices all contribute to novice debugging success. Lack of sustained effort, precision, and methodical processes negatively impact debugging effectiveness. We anticipate that understanding how students engage in debugging tasks will aid future work to address ineffective behaviours and promote effective debugging activities. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Association for Computing Machinery. 2 Penn Plaza Suite 701, New York, NY 10121. Tel: 800-342-6626; Tel: 212-626-0500; Fax: 212-944-1318; e-mail: acmhelp@acm.org; Web site: http://toce.acm.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01