The Block-based, Text-based, and the CS1 Prepared

Abstract

For over 50 years, computer scientists whose backgrounds span many academic and corporate affiliations have attempted to truncate a novice programmer’s investment into their learning that might expedite the length of time required to advance from beginner to intermediate programmer. Widely accepted innovations in programming languages that use blocks instead of text to maintain novices’ motivation and attention have replaced some conventional text-based pedagogies at the pre-college level [8]. This study aims to contribute new knowledge to the Computer Science Education (CSEd) field to empirically validate whether text or block-based languages optimally prepare high school students for success in undergraduate level CS1 (Introduction to Computer Science) courses. The research sub-focus aims to distinguish the significance of equitable preparation between students from underserved communities and their peers arriving at college from affluent areas. This study introduces a 7-week, mixed-methods inquiry aimed at entering first-year undergraduate students enrolled in CS1, exploring their prior programming knowledge and experiences that might establish a relationship among high school programming curricula and learners’ CS1 achievement.