Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Computer Learning Environment For Novice Java Programmers That Supports Cognitive Load Reducing Adaptations And Dynamic Visualizations Of Computer Memory, James Stephen Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Learning to program a computer is difficult for many. The Learning Edge Momentum hypothesis suggests that the difficulty may be due to the tightly integrated nature of programming concepts and adapting the way curriculum is offered may have a significant influence on the outcomes. We investigate applying cognitive load reducing methods to instruction of the introductory programming concepts of declaration, assignment and sequence, using a new learning environment that an instructor can adapt for a specific example or that a student can personalize for amount and modality of content provided. Our study has three learning surveys. Each learning survey has …