<p>The Theory of Applied Mind of
Programming (TAMP) provides a new model for describing how programmers think
and learn. Historically, many students
have struggled when learning to program.
Programming as a discipline lives in logic and reason, but theory and
science tell us that people do not always think rationally. TAMP builds upon the groundbreaking work of
dual process theory and classical educational theorists (Piaget, Vygotsky, and
Bruner) to rethink our assumptions about cognition and learning. Theory guides educators and researchers to
improve their practice, not just their work but also their thinking. TAMP provides new theoretical constructs for
describing the mental activities of programming, the challenges in learning to
program, as well as a guidebook for creating and recognizing the value of
theory.</p>
<p>This dissertation is highly
nontraditional. It does not include a
typical empirical study using a familiar research methodology to guide data
collection and analysis. Instead, it
leverages existing data, as accumulated over a half-century of computing
education research and a century of research into cognition and learning. Since an applicable methodology of
theory-building did not exist, this work also defines a new methodology for
theory building. The methodology of this
dissertation borrows notation from philosophy and methods from grounded theory
to define a transparent and rigorous approach to creating applied
theories. By revisiting past studies
through the lens of new theoretical propositions, theorists can conceive,
refine, and internally validate new constructs and propositions to
revolutionize how we view technical education.</p>
<p>The takeaway from this dissertation
is a set of new theoretical constructs and promising research and pedagogical
approaches. TAMP proposes an applied
model of Jerome Bruner's mental representations that describe the knowledge and
cognitive processes of an experienced programmer. TAMP highlights implicit learning and the
role of intuition in decision making across many aspects of programming. This work includes numerous examples of how
to apply TAMP and its supporting theories in re-imagining teaching and research
to offer alternative explanations for previously puzzling findings on student
learning. TAMP may challenge conventional
beliefs about applied reasoning and the extent of traditional pedagogy, but it
also offers insights on how to promote creative problem-solving in
students. </p><br>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12743717 |
| Date | 04 August 2020 |
| Creators | Anthony A Lowe (9189365) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/The_Theory_of_Applied_Mind_of_Programming/12743717 |
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