Use the playful phrasing “bracket thief” when students get a common Java error for forgetting to use a closing bracket to remind students of this error in a non-threatening way.
Have students instantiate personal hall pass objects when they wish to leave the classroom to help them learn that the values passed to a constructor have to match the number, type, and order of the arguments in the method signature.
Tell students they have to believe that some things just work before they will understand why it works because they need exposure to a lot of material before some concepts make sense individually.
Create notes that look like Javadocs instead of introducing Javadocs so students are scaffolded in reading Javadocs without being overwhelmed by all the material available.
Teach these four Scanner methods that allow students to write interesting code at the beginning of an introductory Java course to give students a feel for programming without overwhelming them.
Misconception: If you consistently use the same variable names during class in lectures and examples, students may incorrectly assume objects in Java can only have those names.
Relate how cool it would be to have the entire dictionary for another language put into your head to importing libraries in Java to help students make sense of this abstract concept.
Insist students use Javadocs as a resource in intro Java classes to reinforce the value of self-directed learning and ensure they know how to reference important documentation.
Misconception: students struggle with the onMousePress method (and other mouse interaction methods) in the Java objectdraw Library from Williams College; they need help understanding it’s called even when don’t explicitly call it.
Always use the keyword ‘this’ in Java, and trace through many examples, to help students understand it.