{"title":"Personality type, career preference and implications for computer science recruitment and teaching","authors":"J. Teague","doi":"10.1145/289393.289416","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/289393.289416","url":null,"abstract":"The aims of the paper are to identify Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality attributes of computing professionals that are best suited to three major subtasks of computing — system analysis, system design and programming and to confirm the validity of the attributes for computing professionals. The MBTI categorises individuals on four pairs of personality characteristics: extraversion/introversion, sensing/ intuition, thinking/feeling and judging/perceiving, giving sixteen possible personality types. The existing literature indicates that just two of these sixteen personality types account for more than a third of computing professionals. Consideration of the tasks of computing professionals today suggests that a much broader range of personality types is required. Preferred types are suggested for each of the major subtasks of system analysis, system design and programming. A study of 38 computing professionals tends to confirm that computing professionals with a preference for one of the subtasks do have characteristics suggested for that subtask. The implications of these findings for the recruitment and retention of students are discussed.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124582021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Some experimental evidence on the educational value of interactive Java applets in Web-based tutorials","authors":"Simon Street, Albert Goodman","doi":"10.1145/289393.289407","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/289393.289407","url":null,"abstract":"The value of imertzctimz in a learning environment has been largely assumed h this paper we present the results of a conzpiztion between learning via static Web materiaL and learning with interactive material Two groups of first-yewcomputing students were studied: one gro~p %’iewedan on-line graph theory tuton”al, the ozher group worked with a more dyamie version of the same $uIorid Each student completed a pre-test to dezetize their knowledge of the topic prior to canme:zcing the Lesso% and a post-test to detect any increase in their zmderstamiing of the material covered by Ii%etutorial l%e study fozmd no significant dijj$erence in the level of unders~anding of Dijkstra ’s Algon”thm between the swdents using Ihe interactive Web materia~ and those duzt viewed the more traditional tutorial content. There is a general view in the schokzrly communi~ Zhat prol’iding an interactive learning environment improves the depth of comprehension; this study provides little suppo~ for this view. One important finding from this researck however, is that using an k.teracfi-ve Web program increases the learner’s enjoyment level – which in turn may increase their understanding in a longer timq?ame.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130288512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"I/O considered harmful (at least for the first few weeks)","authors":"J. Rosenberg, Michael Kölling","doi":"10.1145/299359.299390","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299390","url":null,"abstract":"One of the major difficulties with teaching the first programming course is input/output. It is desirable to show students how to input data and output results early in the course in order to motivate the students and so that they can see the results of their programs. Output is also a useful tool for testing programs. However, in most programming languages input and output are esoteric and the techniques for performing input and output must be learnt by the students at an early stage, precisely when they are trying to understand the basics of programming. We argue that input/output operations need not be taught in the early stages of a course if the language environment provides appropriate tools for testing programs. This assertion is demonstrated by reference to the Blue objectoriented language and environment.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121327760","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teaching software testing","authors":"D. Carrington","doi":"10.1145/299359.299369","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299369","url":null,"abstract":"Testing is a relatively neglected component of the computer science curriculum. It lacks the glamour associated with more constructive activities such as software design and implementation. However, it is the primary verification and validation technique for software and, as such, plays a critical role in the software development process. This paper discusses some approaches to teaching software testing so that students gain practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge of software testing techniques. The goals of the paper are to raise the profile of teaching software testing and to encourage discussion of effective methods that foster student learning of software testing skills.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129548772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A smorgasbord of pedagogical dishes","authors":"A. Berglund, M. Daniels, V. Almstrum","doi":"10.1145/299359.299366","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299366","url":null,"abstract":"A smorgasbord is a style of food presentation that offers a wide variety of dishes from which the dinner guest can select according to personal preference. In this paper, we use the analogy of the ...","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"90 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115949335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A teaching system for SQL","authors":"R. Kearns, Stephen Shead, A. Fekete","doi":"10.1145/299359.299391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299391","url":null,"abstract":"Skill in writing SQL queries is a fundamental outcome expected by industry from any university course in Database Systems. Students often have difficulty with fundamental SQL concepts such as multitable joins, aggregation and grouping. This paper describes teaching software, which supports students learning these concepts. The system, called esql, is similar to a normal query interface, except that the response to a SELECT statement is not merely to show the result, but instead to show a sequence of images, giving a step-by-step account of how the query result is determined.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130095046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teaching programming paradigms and languages for qualitative learning","authors":"P. Maheshwari","doi":"10.1145/299359.299365","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299365","url":null,"abstract":"Effective quality management in teaching and learning can be implemented by careful planning of the subject delivery system, active student involvement and continuous evaluation system in the classroom. In this papel; we discuss the issues involved with the quality improvement of teaching and learning various programming paradigms and languages. Our main aim is to prepare students with analytical abilities in choosing the most appropriate programming language to implement a given software-based system in their future professions. We believe that the qualitative learning of programming language plays an important role in improving the quality of the sofrware products and in furthering the development of the profession. The paper first presents some arguments in light of the current literature on computer science education and quality in higher education, and then, discusses a simple model of teaching and learning that we have adopted in this subject.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132931396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Towards literate tools for novice programmers","authors":"A. Cockburn, N. Churcher","doi":"10.1145/299359.299376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299376","url":null,"abstract":"Literate programming is a powerful technique that helps expert programmers integrate code and documentation in a manner that assists human comprehension. To date, tools for literate programming have had moderately complex syntactic requirements. Consequently, the programmers who stand to gain most from the clarity of the literate technique—novice and learning programmers—have been unable to do so. This paper describes the potential benefits of literate programming environments within introductory programming courses. Design criteria for such environments are presented, and prototype systems demonstrating the criteria are described. Evidence of student enthusiasm for graphical user interfaces for literate programming is discussed.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"96 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115733603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Introducing object orientation to experienced procedural programmers","authors":"Michael Turk","doi":"10.1145/299359.299379","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299379","url":null,"abstract":"This paper suggests an approach to the retraining of procedural programmers in object-oriented design and programming that will benefit both the programmers and their employers. The paper is based on current educational theory, cognitive psychology, mental models and HCI research and on research on the practices of novice and skilled programmers.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129661740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hardware experiments with CISC and RISC computer architectures","authors":"A. G. Bromley","doi":"10.1145/299359.299389","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/299359.299389","url":null,"abstract":"Since 1979 a “Computer Architecture Lab” has operated in the Basser Department at Sydney University to provide hardware teaching in support of 3rd year courses in Computer Architecture. The lab was originally conceived to allow the construction of accumulator/index register computers using the popular 2900 series bit-slice technology. promley, 1979, 19861 In second year the students, mainly from Science and Engineering, will have studied assembly language programming, data structures, finite automata, and compilers, and be experienced in C/UNIX.","PeriodicalId":435916,"journal":{"name":"African Conference on Software Engineering","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1997-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124962417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}