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Dissertation Information for Jan Lee Harrington

NAME:
- Jan Lee Harrington

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Drexel University (USA) (1984)

ADVISORS:
- M. Carl Drott

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Gary Wayne Strong
- Jacqueline Mancall

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The effect of error messages on learning computer programming by individuals without prior programming experience

Abstract: To investigate the effect of enhanced high-level computer programming language error messages on naive programmer performance, 39 subjects without prior programming experience were assigned randomly to three levels of error messages. Level One represented Applesoft BASIC's standard messages. Levels Two and Three provided additional parsing to identify and describe the error more specifically. Subjects learned the rudiments of Applesoft BASIC in a 4-hour tutorial; no data was collected. Subjects then completed two experimental sessions consisting of one debugging and one original programming task. Transcripts of the experimental sessions were analyzed for number of errors made, average number of attempts made to correct an error, and success on the task. Latency between the printing of a message and an attempt to correct it was recorded within the computer and extracted at the end of each task. Prior to beginning sessions on the computer, subjects completed a standardized test for programmer aptitude.

The data were subjected to multivariate analysis of covariance, using the aptitude score as the covariate and error message level as the between group factor. Though significant results were present for the effect of error message level on task success, examination of the group means did not show the expected pattern of increasing scores from Level One to Three.

The data were then divided into three aptitude groups. The MANOVA were re-run without a covariate using both error message level and aptitude group as between group factors. The task success measures demonstrated significant Fs for both aptitude group (p < .001) and error message level (p = .003). The error message level effect was again the result of poor performance by Level Two subjects. On the other hand, group means for aptitude group indicated rising success scores from low to high aptitude.

This study substantiated the belief that individual aptitude in large measure determines how well someone will succeed at learning to program. It also indicated that merely increasing the specificity of error message texts will not necessarily decrease debugging effort or increase ultimate success.

MPACT Scores for Jan Lee Harrington

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-06-04 17:02:49

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Students under Jan Lee Harrington

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None