Remind students that variable assignment occurs in the order assignments are given. This avoids the misconception that changing one value affects other variables assigned before it.
Avoid using x and y as variable names to prevent students from confusing variable assignments with mathematical expressions.
Have students write short computer science poems for extra credit to encourage them to show what they’ve learned in a new way.
Emphasize to your students that in languages like Java a semicolon ends a complete thought, rather than just a line of code.
Prioritize straightforward, understandable code over unclear, shortcut-filled code to avoid confusion.
One strategy for lesson planning is to introduce content with lectures, reinforce content with in-class activities, and extend content with homework.
Be careful to introduce code that students are equipped to understand; otherwise, students may not be able to demonstrate their comprehension.
Ensure that your courses have clear expectations about prerequisite knowledge so all students are well-equipped for class material.
Improving ineffective assignments by modifying or altogether replacing them increases learning overall.
Make sure students have the necessary information on how to set up their computing environment to work comfortably and effectively.
Go beyond prescribed course content to teach students about additional tools and skills they need to be successful.
Choose an appropriate IDE that fits course goals. For AP CS, use an IDE that doesn’t autofill to give students more practice writing code on their own
Use a diagram with variable-value pairs for each call of a recursive function to help students see the change of control flow as calls are made and completed.
Explain through metaphor that return values allow a primary function to get information from a secondary function.