
On the cognitive effects of learning computer programming (1983) [pdf] - lainon
https://web.stanford.edu/~roypea/RoyPDF%20folder/A18_Pea_Kurland_84.pdf
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gshubert17
This paper is over 30 years old. Are there any recent studies on how learning
to programs changes the way people think? I assumed in my high school
teaching, that any student can learn the beginnings of algorithmic thinking
and be able to write interesting, if simple, programs. Since two semester
courses (one in basic computing and office software; the other a broader
computer "fluency" course) were required for graduation, it would be nice to
have evidence that there are positive cognitive changes that accompany new
programming skills.

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xiaoma
How much have human brains changed in the past 30 years?

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tuukkah
Rather, how much have cognitive sciences evolved in the past 30 years?

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platz
summarizing a note from david nolen that i though was apt and I agree with,
was that programmers tend to be very good problem solvers once given a
problem, but tend to neglect the task of finding good problems in the first
place, or dealing with goal-finding in ambiguous situations.

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gumby
This is the reason that Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
isn't really a course about programming but rather one about how to think
about problems and their solutions. It does use programming as a tool in that
process.

