Use in a course on programming languages and techniques for Masters Students in a Joint Physics/Informatics degree
Previously
- Students did not grasp some key points
of programming. E.g.:
- The difffernces between computer arithmetic and real arithmetic
- That variable names and variables in memory are not the same thing
- The distinction between passing by value, passing by reference, and passing by pointer value
- They had a defective rather than an effective mental model
- As a result had trouble completing assignments
The Teaching Machine was adopted in 2005 (without WebWriter++)
- Adopting the Teaching Machine did not impose on the course but complemented it
- Tens of small examples were created.
- Examples were used in lecture and also available to students for self-study.
- The Teaching Machine helped to dispel misconceptions
- Linked View turned out to be a particularly valuable feature