Running Python on your brain computer

When we teach students Python it’s typical to focus on the visible concepts, like variables, if statements and for loops. Over time we slowly build up students’ vocabulary for writing code. However many students struggle with comprehending what those instructions really do. Why is a variable more useful than writing the value? How does a loop change what it does each time it runs?

I’ll discuss common misconceptions that students have when learning to debug, read and trace code. To understand these misconceptions we’ll look at mental models of programming and how they evolve as students develop their understanding. Then to resolve these misconceptions we’ll investigate research and practice on how to build the student’s brain computer, and help it to match the real computer.

By improving students ability to read and trace code, we improve their capacity to debug their own code, and to understand the implications of new concepts they learn.