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Debugging: from novice to expert

Authors:

Ryan Chmiel,

Michael C. LouiAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 36, Issue 1

Pages 17 - 21

https://doi.org/10.1145/1028174.971310

Published: 01 March 2004 Publication History

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Abstract

We conducted a study to demonstrate that formal training in debugging helps students develop skills in diagnosing and removing defects from computer programs. To accomplish this goal in an assembly language course, we designed multiple activities to enhance students' debugging skills. These activities included debugging exercises, debugging logs, development logs and reflective memos, and collaborative assignments. In a previous paper, we reported positive qualitative results. Students agreed that formal debugging training enhanced their debugging skills. In this paper, we present positive quantitative results that support our previous qualitative results. Students who completed the optional debugging exercises spent significantly less time on debugging their programs than those who did not. Furthermore, we develop a model of debugging abilities and habits based on students' comments in their debugging logs, development logs, reflective memos, and evaluation surveys. Students and educators could use the model to diagnose students' current debugging skills and take actions to enhance their skills.

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Cited By

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Childs JZarch RDunton SMadkins TTrautmann KTaylor ZJacobson MOzturk SOttenbreit-Leftwich A(2024)Advancing Equity and Access: Addressing the Side Effects of Broadening Participation in Computer Science K–12 EducationReview of Research in Education10.3102/0091732X24128647548:1(121-153)Online publication date: 28-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X241286475
Izu CWeeransinghe A(2024)Testing and Debugging Habits of Intermediate Student Programmers2024 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)10.1109/EDUCON60312.2024.10578650(1-10)Online publication date: 8-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON60312.2024.10578650
Whalley JSettle ALuxton-Reilly A(2023)A Think-Aloud Study of Novice DebuggingACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/358900423:2(1-38)Online publication date: 8-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3589004
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Index Terms

Debugging: from novice to expert
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education
      2. Model curricula

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Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 36, Issue 1

March 2004

501 pages

ISSN:0097-8418

DOI:10.1145/1028174

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGCSE '04: Proceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
March 2004
544 pages
ISBN:1581137982
DOI:10.1145/971300
Conference Chairs:
Dan Joyce
Villanova University
,
Deborah Knox
The College of New Jersey
,
Program Chairs:
Wanda Dann
Ithaca College
,
Tom Naps
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 2004

Published in SIGCSE Volume 36, Issue 1

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Cited By

View all

Childs JZarch RDunton SMadkins TTrautmann KTaylor ZJacobson MOzturk SOttenbreit-Leftwich A(2024)Advancing Equity and Access: Addressing the Side Effects of Broadening Participation in Computer Science K–12 EducationReview of Research in Education10.3102/0091732X24128647548:1(121-153)Online publication date: 28-Oct-2024
https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X241286475
Izu CWeeransinghe A(2024)Testing and Debugging Habits of Intermediate Student Programmers2024 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)10.1109/EDUCON60312.2024.10578650(1-10)Online publication date: 8-May-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON60312.2024.10578650
Whalley JSettle ALuxton-Reilly A(2023)A Think-Aloud Study of Novice DebuggingACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/358900423:2(1-38)Online publication date: 8-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3589004
Tsunoda KMasuhara HCong YLaakso MMonga MSimon Sheard J(2023)Mind the Error Message: An Inverted Quiz Format to Direct Learner's Attention to Error MessagesProceedings of the 2023 Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3587102.3588823(382-388)Online publication date: 29-Jun-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3587102.3588823
Ko MBose DChowdhury HSeyam MBrown C(2023)Exploring the Barriers and Factors that Influence Debugger Usage for Students2023 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC)10.1109/VL-HCC57772.2023.00027(168-172)Online publication date: 3-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/VL-HCC57772.2023.00027
Kelleher CGannon JJones CAksoy Ş(2022)Best Management Practices for Teaching Hydrologic Coding in Physical, Hybrid, and Virtual ClassroomsFrontiers in Water10.3389/frwa.2022.8757324Online publication date: 22-Jun-2022
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Meier HLepp M(2022)Effectiveness of Feedback Based on Log File Analysis in Introductory Programming CoursesJournal of Educational Computing Research10.1177/0735633122113265161:3(696-719)Online publication date: 25-Oct-2022
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Tsan JWeintrop DFranklin DBecker BQuille KLaakso MBarendsen ESimon (2022)An Analysis of Middle Grade Teachers' Debugging Pedagogical Content KnowledgeProceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 110.1145/3502718.3524770(533-539)Online publication date: 7-Jul-2022
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Zhang YPaquette LPinto JLiu QFan A(2022)Combining latent profile analysis and programming traces to understand novices’ differences in debuggingEducation and Information Technologies10.1007/s10639-022-11343-728:4(4673-4701)Online publication date: 22-Oct-2022
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Michaeli TRomeike R(2022)“I Now Feel that this is Unfair” A Case Study on the Effects of Professional Development for Debugging in the K-12 ClassroomInformatics in Schools. A Step Beyond Digital Education10.1007/978-3-031-15851-3_7(78-89)Online publication date: 26-Sep-2022
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