Teaching Programming to First Year Students

In 1991, at Deakin University, it was decided to review our first programming language which was then Pascal. This paper describes the existing situation and some of the arguments advanced for and against changing. Our new teaching approach, based on the "science " of programming and on algorithm construction, is described. This teaching is done independently of a programming language using Structured English and pseudocode and allows any desired language to subsequently be introduced relatively quickly and easily. Reasons why it was necessary that this laguage be C are presented. The students' final results are analysed with a view to tuning the course more closely to perceived weaknesses in student performance. Contrary to some anecdotal evidence suggesting C is unsuitable as a teaching vehicle, we found no indication that C caused any decline in student performance. 2 1.0 Introduction The characterisation of Computer Science has changed from the previous loose and somewhat intui..