Tip De Enseñanza(Ingles).Pdf

Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 17(4)

Teaching Tip

Object-Or iented Pr ogr amming Pr inciples and the J ava Class Libr ar y
Thomas P. Cavaiani Department of Networking, Operations, and Information Systems College of Business and Economics Boise State University Boise, Idaho 83725 tcavaiani@boisestate.edu
ABSTRACT For novices, learning an object-oriented programming languagecan be a daunting task. Not only do students need to learn basic programming concepts, but they are also confronted with object modeling concepts as well. Learning Java presents an additional difficulty. Students must learn how to use the Java Class Library to locate the details of classes, methods, and toolkits that they can use in their own classes. One of my primary goals in teaching Java tonovices is helping them acquire an understanding of a specific subset of tools in the Java Class Library. This goal is addressed by emphasizing the use of inheritance and a specially designed set of exercises. To demonstrate this approach, this paper will outline the creation of a simple text editor. This example illustrates how considerable functionality can be added to complex programs by usingexisting classes documented in the Java Class Library. Keywor ds: Object-Oriented Programming, Guided Instruction, Java Programming, Class Libraries

1. INTRODUCTION Novice programming students have minimal difficulty gaining a conceptual understanding of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles such as code reuse, inheritance, and overloading, but typically experience considerable difficultyapplying these principles when coding. Over the last four semesters I have devised a list of objectives that address the role that OOP principles, such as code reuse and inheritance, play in searching the Java Class Library. These objectives are as follows: Assist students in learning how to apply the concept of inheritance to practical examples. Assign practical examples that require students touse and extend existing classes. Deliver specific instruction designed to familiarize students with the packages documented by the Java Class Library. Assist students in learning searching techniques for locating specific classes and methods in the Java Class Library. These objectives have led to the development of specific teaching methods and exercises used in my introductory Java programmingcourse. The teaching methods address how to

appropriately structure the learning environment, create programming exercises that pertain to "real world" applications, and provide students with a guided approach that helps them discover how to solve problems. A brief discussion of the basis for this approach follows. Several researchers have discussed the need to appropriately structure thelearning environment (Bandura, 1977; Bruner, 1966; Bruner, 1986; Vygotsky, 1978). Continually adjusting the level of help in response to a learner's level of performance not only produces immediate results, but also instills individuals with the skills necessary for independent problem solving later on (Vygotsky, 1978). Bandura (1977) indicates that most human behavior is learned observationally throughmodeling. By observing others one learns how new behaviors are performed. Later this coded information is used by an individual to as a guide for action. A major theme described by Bruner (1966) is that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current and/or past knowledge. The learner selects and transforms information, constructshypotheses, and makes decisions, relying upon schemas and mental models, to provide meaning and organization to experiences that allows the individual to go beyond the given information. With regard to a guided approach to instruction, Bruner (1966, 1986) indicates that instructors should try and

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Journal of Information Systems Education, Vol. 17(4)
encourage students to discover principles by...