Recursion is an important problem solving technique used in programming. It is also a highly unfamiliar mental activity and many computing novices have difficult understanding recursion and applying recursive techniques in problem solving. Research studies have concluded that novices and experts differ in their mental models of recursion. Novices seem to possess various inadequate models of rec...

This research study describes various aspects of teaching object oriented programming (OOP) as the primary paradigm for novices. The objective of the study was to lighting up various dimensions and provides a significant basis for receiving answers to the questions: (1) What key concepts of object oriented programming are important and should be included in an introductory course in order to en...

In this study, we examine how task and environmental characteristics differentially affect the decision processes of novice and expert decision makers. Specifically, we consider how decision importance, accountability and complexity influence the information acquisition processes of manager and student subjects in a strategic business decision task. Based on prior research on expert decision ma...

Music jamming is an extremely difficult task for musical novices. Trying to extend this meaningful and highly enjoyable activity to a larger recipient group, we present WIJAM, a mobile application for an ad-hoc group of musical novices to perform improvisation along with a music master. In this “master-players” paradigm, the master offers a music backing, orchestrates the musical flow, and give...

This paper presents two complementary patterns. The first is a learning pattern and is intended for use by novices in professional fields. The second is a pedagogical pattern intended for educators teaching such novices. The Introvert Extrovert pattern speaks to those novices who believe themselves to be shy and introverted but whose circumstances in the professional world demands them to be bo...