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The Old Question: Which Programming Language Should We Choose to Teach to Program?

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Advances in Digital Science (ICADS 2021)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 1352))

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Abstract

When students enter higher education in computer courses, students have, in the first semester, to perceive and streamline computer (or computational) thinking . The names for the unit are diverse, usually algorithm and programming, introduction to programming or even Programming I or algorithm. In research we call CS1, or computer science 1, since that designation was used in an important document with curriculum recommendations prepared by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in 1978. Despite different names, it is intended with these units that students start in the world of programming. However, if the learning objectives do not differ much, the same cannot be said of the adapted programming language. There is not, nor is it likely to be, a consensus regarding the programming language used by the student's startup in the programming world. The various documents with curriculum recommendations for computer science from ACM and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) do not clearly define which programming language to adopt. Those responsible for the courses have to make this choice, consciously and not just following industry trends. The purpose of this article is to draw a picture of the adoption of the different programming languages that have been used over time, as well as to help in choosing the most accurate and conscious option possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. REMIT, Universidade Portucalense, Porto, Portugal

    Sónia Rolland Sobral

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  1. Sónia Rolland Sobral
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Correspondence to Sónia Rolland Sobral .

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  1. Institute of Certified Specialists (ICS), Perm, Russia

    Tatiana Antipova

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Sobral, S.R. (2021). The Old Question: Which Programming Language Should We Choose to Teach to Program?. In: Antipova, T. (eds) Advances in Digital Science. ICADS 2021. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1352. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71782-7_31

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