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High-level problems in teaching undergraduate programming languages

Published:30 November 2008Publication History
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Abstract

This paper discusses several problems in teaching programming languages. A language tends to indoctrinate its users and desensitize us to its problems and limitations. In addition, many language issues don't arise until programs reach a certain scale, which can be difficult to do in a one-semester course. No solution is proposed; instead the focus is to better understand the difficulty of designing an effective curriculum. One way to cut through the accidental combination of surface features in programming languages is to focus on semantics and programs themselves as object of study.

References

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  1. High-level problems in teaching undergraduate programming languages

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      cover image ACM SIGPLAN Notices
      ACM SIGPLAN Notices  Volume 43, Issue 11
      November 2008
      137 pages
      ISSN:0362-1340
      EISSN:1558-1160
      DOI:10.1145/1480828
      Issue’s Table of Contents

      Copyright © 2008 Author

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      Association for Computing Machinery

      New York, NY, United States

      Publication History

      • Published: 30 November 2008

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