Beyond Cognitive Increase: Investigating the Influence of Computer Programming on Perception and Application of Mathematical Skills

摘要

This study aimed to provide first-hand accounts of the perceived long-term effects of learning computer programming on a learner's approach to mathematics. These phenom-enological accounts, garnered from individual interviews of seven different programmers, illustrate four specific areas of interest: (1) programming provides context for many abstract mathematical concepts; (2) programming illustrates the important distinction between understanding the application of mathematics in a specific situation and the execution, in general, of a known procedure; (3) programming habits helped participants divide complex mathematics problems into more manageable tasks; and (4) the need to use mathematics for more efficient programs decreased participants' apprehension and increased their motivation toward mathematics. In short, computer programming provided participants with context, application, structure and motivation for mathematics.