Reifying Abstract Programming Concepts Through Visualization
Peter Bellström, Claes Thorén
Journal of Information Technology Review, Vol. 1, No. 4, 2010.
DOI: 
Link: http://www.dline.info/jitr/fulltext/v1n4/1.pdf
Abstract:
Beginner’s computer programming is a course that constitutes an important part of any Information Technology (IT) related university program. For the majority of students, this particular course either comes across as a near-impossible trial by fire or as the moderately difficult challenge it should be. We relate this dichotomy to mathematical literacy and propose that information systems students and computer science students require two diametrically opposed strategies of teaching. In this context, we present three aspects in to the field of reification through visualization: a study on the benefits of visualizing using the bubble sort algorithm, a design for introducing visualization into beginners programming courses and lastly a taxonomy for programming tools which will aid in gauging the appropriateness of each tool mapped against a particular student type. Results of the study show that visualization has a positive effect on information systems students.