Teaching Challenges : Testing and Debugging Skills for Novice Programmers

educators in computing disciplines encounter: teaching testing and debugging skills to novice programmers. The first part of the article addresses the issue of presenting debugging as part of a larger context of educating future professionals committed to providing quality results. Discussed are the results of a survey designed to identify student programming and debugging practices, and suggestions to help infuse quality practices into courses and assignments. The second part of the article addresses the introduction of noncredit seminars into the curriculum. It describes a pilot program that will develop short seminars to help ease the time crunch felt in many computer disciplines. The seminars will be offered in a laboratory environment where students may experience a hands-on approach to learning, and the seminars will not be connected to course work or grades, providing a low stress environment for learning outside the classroom.