ERIC Number: EJ975590
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Mar
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1946-6226
EISSN: N/A
Describing the What and Why of Students' Difficulties in Boolean Logic
Herman, Geoffrey L.; Loui, Michael C.; Kaczmarczyk, Lisa; Zilles, Craig
ACM Transactions on Computing Education, v12 n1 Article 3 Mar 2012
The ability to reason with formal logic is a foundational skill for computer scientists and computer engineers that scaffolds the abilities to design, debug, and optimize. By interviewing students about their understanding of propositional logic and their ability to translate from English specifications to Boolean expressions, we characterized common misconceptions and novice problem-solving processes of students who had recently completed a digital logic design class. We present these results and discuss their implications for instruction and the development of pedagogical assessment tools known as concept inventories. (Contains 12 figures and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Interviews, Logical Thinking, Computer Science, Scientists, Misconceptions, Mathematical Logic, Mathematical Concepts, Scientific Concepts, Problem Solving, Word Problems (Mathematics), Undergraduate Students, Concept Formation, Protocol Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Illinois
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A