Modula-2 versus C++ as a first programming language—some empirical results

ABSTRACT

The success of an experiment of using C++ as a first programming language for students of a specific type of computer science is presented.The paper motivates the shift from Modula-2 to C++ in the curriculum, shortly describes the course and discusses the statistical evaluation of the results of the last Modula-2 course and the first C++ course, respectively.The main findings of the study are the fact that in contrast to most expectations, the shift from a typical “educational” language to a much “dirtier” language had no significant effect to the performance of the students taking the course.

REFERENCES

• 1: Hitz, M. C+ + - Grundlagen und Programmierung. Springer Verlag Wien - New York, 1992.
• 2: Stanley B. Lippman, C++ primer, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1989
• 3: Reid, R. J. C++ as a first programming language. C++ Report May 1993, pp. 41-44.
• 4: S-Plus for Windows. Statistical Sciences Inc., Seattle, Washington, March 1993.
• 5: Bjarne Stroustrup, The C++ programming language (2nd ed.), Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 1991

INDEX TERMS

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

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: Modula-2; C++

  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.2 User/Machine Systems
          Subjects: Human factors

General Terms:
Human Factors, Languages