Abstract:

The author has been responsible for teaching CSC 101 Introduction to Computers, an introductory course which covers computer hardware, software, and programming, at a small liberal arts college in rural Southwest Virginia, United States for four years. Because the author’s institution is dedicated to serving a rural community, the students recruited include a wide spectrum of students in terms of academic capability. Teaching CSC 101 is always challenging because it is open to all majors and attracts students with varied programming experiences ranging from none to some. The author has tried different approaches and pedagogies in the past four years. It is discovered that the incorporation of variable-based pedagogy and in-class practice is the most effective methodology for teaching introductory computer programming.

The variable-based pedagogy refers to teaching students the concept that variables are where the input data is stored and are manipulated and processed by commands in computer programs. With this concept introduced first, it helps students clearly understand what to expect and handle and greatly facilitates their development of program flows. In-class practice ensures that students understand the syntax for each command and substantially reduces the potential frustration caused by exploring programming by themselves. Both prove to be highly effective.

This paper explains the author’s approaches in detail and analyzes the effectiveness of these approaches with the performance of students in two sections of CSC 101 taught by the author in Fall 2025 semester.

Keywords:

Higher education, pedagogy, computer programming.