The effects of pseudocode in teaching the C++ programming language

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of writing the program in pseudocode using the pseudocode-planning sheet during the program planning stage. This study also sought out to determine if success in an introductory programming course using the C++ programming language could be predicted using the Programming Readiness Test developed by Riccardo. The relationship between the students entering mathematical abilities and their performance in the introductory programming course was studied. The mathematical placement level was compared to the final course grade to investigate the relationship between mathematical placement levels and final course grades. Finally, the students' reactions were obtained to determine what contribution, if any, the students felt the pseudocode-planning sheet made to learning to program using the C++ programming language.; The study was conducted at an urban New England Community-Technical College. Students were from two intact classes of an introductory programming course that used the C++ programming language. The syllabus for this course is very similar to the syllabus recommended by the College Board for the AP (Advanced Placement) courses in computer science taught at the high school level.; The study concluded that the pseudocode-planning sheet did affect the final course grade. The study also concluded that the mathematics placement level did influence the final course grade. The students' reactions to using the pseudocode-planning sheet to plan the program before writing the actual language code were mixed. Finally, the Programming Readiness Test failed to predict success in this introductory programming course.; The study recommends that a planning mechanism like the pseudocode-planning sheet be used to guide the students when they are planning their programming assignments. It further recommends that the mathematics placement level be considered when establishing the prerequisites for an introductory computer programming course. The study concludes that perhaps a new Programming Readiness Test be constructed in order to predict success in computer programming courses that use object-oriented programming languages such as the C++ programming language.