The Use of Analogies in Senior High School Introductory Computer Textbooks

[[abstract]]Analogies are considered as an effective method for providing a bridge between unfamiliar concepts and knowledge that students already have. However, analogies shouldbe used cautiously because at some point every analogy breaks down. It can lead tomisunderstanding as well as understanding. This study investigats the effects of usinganalogies on learning, the strategies of analogical teaching, and analogies used in science textbooks. Criteria for analyzing analogies used in science textbooks are concluded.Using these criteria, we then analyze 15 senior high school introductory computer textbooks. The content analysis indicates that 126 analogies exist in 15 textbooks, an average of 8.4 analogies per book. Analogies are used most frequently in computer organization related topics. The major deficiencies found in the analogies are: (1) The authorsgenerally did not point out the limitations of analogies for students; and (2) about ahalf of the analogies are described with just one or two sentences. Future work shouldinvestigate the use of analogies in teaching computer science from the perspectives ofauthors, teachers, and students.