Hasty design, futile patching and the elaboration of rigor

ABSTRACT

"Two wrongs don't make a right." In the last two years, we observed repeated hasty designs, followed by futile patching of programming solutions, which yielded (and re-yielded) erroneous outcomes. In this paper, we illuminate and illustrate diverse characteristics of these undesired design and patching phenomena, and offer a didactic approach of using them for elaborating students' awareness of rigor. We advocate such an elaboration in textbooks and teaching materials, as one may learn and benefit from the wrong way no less than the right one.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design

Keywords:
patching, programming errors, rigor