[Bluej-discuss] confusion over =

[Lon Levy]

Hi Ian,

I don't have any studies, just my experiences.  Yes, I had many students get confused every year.  Because my data structures class is a distance learning class where some of my students had a first course with someone other than me and almost never starting with a functional language, I continue to have to explain to my second year students that the equals sign does not mean "equals" but means is "is assigned".  Because I am just one teacher, this is anecdotal evidence by definition.  I see it every year, including this year.

Regards,

Lon.

Lon Levy, MS-CSEd
Computer Science Teacher
Volunteer Computer Club Advisor
Oregon High School
608-835-1316
LXL at oregon.k12.wi.us
cs at levytree.net

non somnos requiem

>>> Ian Utting <I.A.Utting at kent.ac.uk> 11/29/07 3:38 AM >>>
Lon Levy wrote:
> While
>   a = b + c
> appears simple, it is very confusing to early students who want to
> look at it as a balanced equation instead of an assignment.

This keeps getting bought up, but it always rings false to me. So I
asked Mik and David (nearly 50 years of CS1 teaching between the three
of us), and we can remember only one instance of a student exhibiting
this confusion.

Is there any *evidence* that this is a common misconception among students?

Let's rule out instances where teachers say "You're going to find this 
confusing" and students then do as they're told.