Introducing Assertions to Visual Programming Environment for Introductory Programming Education

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26330099
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Software
• Research Institution: Software Research Associates, Inc. (Key Technology Laboratory)
• Principal Investigator: Oda Tomohiro 株式会社SRA(先端技術研究所), 先端技術研究所, 研究員 (00580383)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: プログラミング教育 / 形式手法 / ビジュアルプログラミング / 契約プログラミング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Block-based visual programming environments are used for introductory programming classes at various levels of schools from elementary schools to colleges. Those visual languages allows learners to start programming without memorizing syntax rules and keywords.
In this research, we developed a software that extends assertion blocks to a visual programming environment called "Phratch", and published it as an open source software. Assertions are preconditions and postconditions of functional units in programs, and enables systematic ways to specify, design and debug program codes. We also applied our software to an introductory programming class for undergraduate students and evaluated its effects.

Free Research Field

形式手法