Emphasize the importance of developing a consistent naming schema, especially for booleans, as a part of good style.
Explain that Java’s return is like a platter where you can hand information between methods to help students create a concrete mental model for an often tricky subject.
Misconception: Students don’t realize that the keyword return causes Java to leave the current method.
Use small whiteboards for formative assessments during class instead of clickers because they have a low overhead to get up and running and they allow you to quickly gauge student progress.
Use Zyante programming textbooks so that reading assignments are integrated with frequent exercises to ensure students understand and have plenty of practice with a topic before moving forward.
Use puzzles, problem solving, and tinkering in assignments and activities to build students’ confidence and interest in pursuing Computer Science and to ensure that students understand and develop necessary skills for success.
Show students explicitly how objects and variables might have other names (i.e., aliasing) to help students understand that variable names don’t have to match parameter names because students often find this confusing.
Explain the “discards qualifiers” error in C++ using the metaphor of a contractor who has signed a contract not to change instance variables, but then attempts to use subcontractor who hasn’t agreed to the same terms or signed the appropriate forms.
Create boolean variables to use as the condition when introducing if statement to highlight for students that the condition is any expression that evaluates to true or false.
Step through an accumulator pattern on board to make clear how variables change within a while loop to help students understand this confusing topic.