Blogs (19) >>
Thu 16 Mar 2023 15:45 - 17:00 at Online Authors' Corner - Online Authors' Corner 2

How can we teach students to use code structures that support readability? How common is it for students to choose less readable (but still functional) alternatives? We explore these questions for a specific novice structure choice: using sequential if statements when conditions are exclusive (rather than using else-if or else). We created and validated an automated detector to identify this anti-pattern in student code. Running the detector on 1,764 homework submissions (from 267 students in an intermediate CS class on data structures and algorithms)showed that this pattern was common and varied by assignment, with 3% to 50% of submissions using this pattern across 12 assignments. However, the use of the sequential if anti-pattern did not preclude the use of else-if: up to 34% of submissions used both forms across assignments. Further, students used sequential if statements in surprising ways, such as checking a condition and then the negation of that condition, indicating a more novice level of understanding than expected for an intermediate course. Hand inspection of the detector-flagged cases suggests that sequential ifs for exclusive cases may be a code smell that can indicate larger problems with logic and abstraction.

Thu 16 Mar

Displayed time zone: Eastern Time (US & Canada) change

15:45 - 17:00
Online Authors' Corner 2Papers at Online Authors' Corner

Opportunity for attendees to connect with authors for interactive Q&A and discussion

15:45
75m
Paper
Evolving a Programming CS2 Course: A Decade-Long Experience ReportOnlineGlobal
Papers
Nasser Giacaman The University of Auckland, Partha Roop University of Auckland, Valerio Terragni University of Auckland
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
Case Study: Mapping an E-Voting Based Curriculum to CSEC2017PCI Best PaperOnline
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Muwei Zheng University of California, Davis, Nathan Swearingen Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Steven Mills Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Croix Gyurek Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Matt Bishop The University of California, Davis, Xukai Zou Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
Teaching Site Reliability Engineering as a Computer Science ElectiveOnline
Papers
Mikey Dickerson Layer Aleph LLC, Tzu-Yi Chen Pomona College
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
Towards a Validated Self-Efficacy Scale for Data ManagementOnline
Papers
Wensheng Wu University of Southern California
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
A Summer Camp Experience to Engage Middle School Learners in AI through Conversational App DevelopmentK12In-PersonERT Best Paper
Papers
Gloria Ashiya Katuka University of Florida, Yvonika Auguste University of Florida, Yukyeong Song University of Florida, Xiaoyi Tian University of Florida, Amit Kumar University of Florida, Mehmet Celepkolu University of Florida, Kristy Elizabeth Boyer University of Florida, Joanne Barrett University of Florida, Maya Israel University of Florida, Tom McKlin The Findings Group
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
Attracting Adults to Computer Programming via Hip HopOnline
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Douglas Lusa Krug Virginia Commonwealth University, Chrystalla Mouza University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, W. Monty Jones Virginia Commonwealth University, Taylor Barnett Virginia Commonwealth University, David C. Shepherd Virginia Commonwealth University
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
Assessing Peer Correction of SQL and NoSQL QueriesOnline
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Wensheng Wu University of Southern California
DOI
15:45
75m
Paper
Use of an Anti-Pattern in CS2: Sequential if Statements with Exclusive ConditionsOnline
Papers
Sara Nurollahian University of Utah, Matthew Hooper University of Utah, Adriana Salazar University of Utah, Eliane Wiese University of Utah
DOI