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Analysis of Experts’ and Novices’ Thinking Process in Program Debugging

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Book cover Engaging Learners Through Emerging Technologies (ICT 2012)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 302))

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Abstract

Program debugging is a complex cognitive process. Since it is an important step in programming, debug training not only improves learner’s programming capacity, but also their problem solving capacity. For the purpose of this paper, three C language experts were invited; novices were represented by three third-year students. All six persons participated in a think-aloud experiment, where every person was given two programs to debug; each program was set up to contain three error types, i.e. syntax, semantic and logic.

The results showed that experts have a better grasp of feedback from the compiler. On the other hand, experts and novices have similar thinking process in syntax debugging. In semantic debugging, experts are able to comprehend the output results, but novices are rather confused; as to logic debugging, novices are less developed in logical structuring. This paper suggests student’s debugging capacity must be reinforced in programming courses, particularly in semantic and logic debugging.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics and Information Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan

    Ching-Zon Yen

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering, Tungnan University, Taiwan

    Ping-Huang Wu

  3. Department of Electronic Engineering, De Lin Institute of Technology, Taiwan

    Ching-Fang Lin

Authors
  1. Ching-Zon Yen
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  2. Ping-Huang Wu
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  3. Ching-Fang Lin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Open University of Hong Kong, China

    Kam Cheong Li

  2. Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, Hong Kong, China

    Fu Lee Wang

  3. The Open University of Hong Kong, China

    Kin Sun Yuen  & Simon K. S. Cheung  & 

  4. Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong, China

    Reggie Kwan

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Yen, CZ., Wu, PH., Lin, CF. (2012). Analysis of Experts’ and Novices’ Thinking Process in Program Debugging. In: Li, K.C., Wang, F.L., Yuen, K.S., Cheung, S.K.S., Kwan, R. (eds) Engaging Learners Through Emerging Technologies. ICT 2012. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 302. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31398-1_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31398-1_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-31397-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-31398-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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