Introducing OO concepts from a class user perspective

- Smith, Philip, Boyd, Geoffrey

Title
Introducing OO concepts from a class user perspective
Creator
Smith, Philip; Boyd, Geoffrey
Date
2001
Type
Text; Journal article
Identifier
http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/53793
Identifier
vital:3754
Identifier
ISSN:1937-4771
Abstract
The use of an object-oriented language as an introductory language is becoming more widespread (Biddle & Tempero, 1998). However, pedagogical issues relating to the incorporation of such a language are still not understood properly (Kolling, 2001). Approaches to incorporating an object-oriented language into a teaching program vary greatly. Some approaches avoid the issue of object-orientation by putting emphasis on the procedural aspects of the language (Koffman & Wolz, 1999). Others approach the subject from the perspective of a class developer, especially making use of the appeal graphical user interfaces and applets have for students. The approach that we take at the University of Ballarat is to introduce students to programming from the perspective of a class user. This approach is facilitated by the availability of BlueJ (Kolling & Rosenberg, 2001), a program development environment designed explicitly for teaching object-oriented principles using Java. This paper describes this approach and the students' reactions to it.
Publisher
Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges
Relation
Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges Vol. 17, no. 2 (2001), p. 152-158
Rights
Copyright Consortium for Computing in Small Colleges (uploading privileges were granted by permission of the Consortium for Computing in Small Colleges)
Rights
Open Access
Rights
This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
Subject
Object-oriented language; University teaching; Students; Programming
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