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Misconception: Students believe that when they assign a = b, they are copying b into a rather than making a point to b.

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  • This misconception is a result of an incorrect mental model of how variable assignment works.

Tags

  • Content Misconceptions
  • CS 1
  • Intro Programming
External Source

"Exploring programming misconceptions: an analysis of student mistakes in visual program simulation exercises" by Teemu Sirkiä and Juha Sorva.

Other Tips By
Teemu Sirkiä
Juha Sorva

Similar tips

Misconception: Students often think that classes hold Objects rather than understanding that they’re a blueprint for Objects because of the main method.
When teaching introductory courses, teach students to use “top-down thinking” and “bottom-up implementation.”
Use 7-day 4-doses-a-day pill-organizers to introduce students to 2D arrays because these create an interactive, 7-by-4 two-dimensional array that helps students visualize this abstract concept.
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