objectsanddesignfirst.docVIP

Objects and Design First Glenn D. Blank Computer Science and Engineering19 Packard LabLehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA 18104, USA610-758-4867glennblank@   Fang Wei Computer Science and Engineering19 Packard LabLehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA 18104, USA484-767-1373faw2@ ABSTRACT Starting a CS1 course with procedural or syntactic details hinders learning of object-oriented concepts and creates the wrong impression about what software developers really do. We present a detailed curriculum for the first two weeks of a CS1 course, which is both objects- and design-first. It introduces the big picture of software development, then the main concepts of objects and classes, with multimedia lessons. Then students learn how to create a class diagram from a problem description, using a novice-oriented LehighUML plug-in for Eclipse. The results of a small study suggest that the curriculum—especially the systematic procedure for creating a class diagram can give novices success in developing object-oriented programs, very early in a course. Categories and Subject Descriptors D.3.3 [Programming Languages]: Language Contructs and Features—classes and objects K.3.1 [Computers in Education]: Computer Uses in Education—computer-assisted instruction. General Terms Algorithms, Design, Human Factors, Languages. Keywords CS1, object-oriented design, multimedia e-learning, Eclipse. THE BIG PICTURE There is ongoing debate about how to introduce object-oriented programming concepts in a first CS course [5]. Emphasis on procedural and syntax-first approaches (i.e., starting with a “Hello, World” main method, then arithmetic operators) hinder understanding of object-oriented concepts [10]. Anecdotal [6] and experimental [4] evidence now suggest that an “objects first” approach—starting immediately with manipulating classes, objects and methods—can be effective in teaching Java programming. However, the first chapters of textbooks claiming an “objects first” approac