Selecting a first programming Language to Teach Prospective Teachers – Case Examples from Two Programs

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the decision to select a programming language to teach students enrolled in a graduate level course in education. The paper illustrates the experience of two degree programs: First, the master degree of business education (M.Ed.) at Eberly College of Business and Information Technology – Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), and second, the master of education (M.S. Business Education) at Robert Morris University (RMU). The paper first reviews literature regarding factors that make learning to program a difficult task. It then introduces a programming language named Alice and discusses how this language is able to address the difficulty with learning to program. It then illustrates the experience of both programs at IUP and RMU in selecting a programming language to teach for their students enrolled in their respective education master degree programs.