Use of Rule-Based Elaboration of Worked Examples to Promote the Acquisition of Programming Plans

Abstract

Programming plans are an important component of programming expertise. This study examined whether rule based elaboration (RBE) of worked examples, an instructional technique that uses rules to elaborate on plans in worked examples, could be used to promote the acquisition of plans by novices. Subjects were 102 undergraduates enrolled in introductory programming courses. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of RBE, it was compared to the use of conventional problem solving and the use of worked examples. The findings appear to suggest that the use of RBE was more successful than either the use of worked examples or conventional problem solving in promoting the learning of plans.

• programming
• rule-based elaboration
• college-level instruction