A Study on the Creative Problem-solving Process in Computer Programming

In this paper we firstly determined how creative problem solving (CPS) is incubated and developed in programming. We adopted methods that included thinking aloud, observation and interviews to compare and analyze the data collected from experts and novices while they were engaged in programming task s to complete a sorting process using Visual BASIC. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1) to find the CPS ideas generated by expert and novice learners, 2) to find how CPS ideas related to the CPS process, and 3) to find the factors that affected the CPS process. This study found that Figural Form A of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) score could predict the number of problem solving ideas and programming achievement both in strategy and the degree of program completion. Ideas might fail due to errors in thinking or syntax expression. This study also generalized different error types to help improve programming instruction. Index Terms – creative problem solving, programming, thinking aloud BACKGROUND OF THIS STUDY Being the foundation of our economic strength, it is significant to give an impetus to research and development in the Information Industry. Keeping software industry performance abreast with the hardware industry is an important goal. Programming instruction and training are fundamental skills for the development of a software industry. It is an activity involving brainstorming that contains the CPS process, which is somewhat implicit, making it difficult to observe or measure [1]. To formalize and visualize this process and its source better, we can rebuild the relative experience and conditions in programming instruction and training to accelerate the programmer’s CPS ability, which in turn will contribute to the performance and output of the software industry, laying a good foundation for our country in the 21 century. We made a comparison between experts and novices to enhance the learning effect. During the comparison, we discussed the content, style and development of a professional. With this effective instructional method, we helped novices to access professional cultivation with this effective instructional method [2]. This instruction assisted novices with attaining a swift breakthrough in thinking or operation. By analyzing and comparing the differences between the programming experts and the programming novices, determining the specific creative skills of the experts and then handing them down to the novices, a good foundation for software development education and training for industry was laid [3]. Base on the above ideas, we must first determine how CPS is incubated in programming. These research results can be used in future research discussions to obtain essential and important contributions. The follow-up research includes: 1) how to mold relative conditions to apply the ability on problem-solving successfully; 2) how to design the relative instructional training and teaching materials for the cultivation and training of the creative problem-solving ability. This important procedure allows the creative problem-solving ability to come down in one continuous line from incubation, development to application. Under the planning background mentioned above, this research is aimed at incubating and developing CPS in programming. We adopted methods that included thinking aloud, combining observation and interviews to compare and analyze the data collected from experts and novices. The focuses of this research included: l Determining the relationship between the quantity of problem-solving ideas and the creativity in the creative problem-solvers (experts and novices) l Investigate the affective process for the above problemsolving ideas and their influences on successful programming development. l Investigate the error pattern, proportion and causes of CPS in programming, and then propose an improvement strategy in the instruction. METHODS AND PROCEDURE The procedure for this research included seven items as follows: l Draft the conditions and characteristics of the research objects. l Choose the research objects (experts and novices). l Implement the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. l Design the questions and interview guidelines. l Implement the problem-solving programming and collect data. l Analyze the data. l Sum up the conclusions and suggestions and write the