Can natural language be utilized in the learning of programming fundamentals?

For over 50 years, computer scientists whose backgrounds span many academic and corporate affiliations have attempted to truncate a novice programmer’s investment into their learning that might expedite the length of time required to advance from beginner to intermediate programmer. Widely accepted innovations in programming languages that use blocks instead of text to maintain novices’ motivation and attention have replaced some conventional text-based pedagogies at the pre-college level [8]. This study aims to contribute new knowledge to the Computer Science Education (CSEd) field to empirically validate whether text or block-based languages optimally prepare high school students for success in undergraduate level CS1 (Introduction to Computer Science) courses. The research sub-focus aims to distinguish the significance of equitable preparation between students from underserved communities and their peers arriving at college from affluent areas. This study introduces a 7-week, mixed-methods inquiry aimed at entering first-year undergraduate students enrolled in CS1, exploring their prior programming knowledge and experiences that might establish a relationship among high school programming curricula and learners’ CS1 achievement.

In recent years, a theory of distributional learning of phrase structure grammars has been developed starting with the simple algorithm presented in (Clark and Eyraud, 2007). These ideas are based on the classic ideas of American structuralist linguistics (Wells, 1947; Harris, 1954). Since that initial paper, the algorithms have been extended to large classes of grammars, notably to the class of Multiple Context-Free grammars by (Yoshinaka, 2011). In this talk we will sketch a theory of language acquisition based on these techniques, and contrast it with other proposals, such as the semantic bootstrapping and parameter setting models. This proposal is based on three recent results: first, a weak learning result for a class of languages that plausibly includes all natural languages (Clark and Yoshinaka, 2013), secondly, a strong learning result for some context-free grammars, that includes a general strategy for converting weak learners to strong learners (Clark, 2013a), and finally a theoretical result that all minimal grammars for a language will have distributionally definable syntactic categories (Clark, 2013b). We argue that we now have all of the pieces for a complete and explanatory theory of language acquisition based on distributional learning and sketch some of the nontrivial predictions of this theory about the syntax and syntax-semantics interface.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a training module on the appropriate use of language when referring to persons with disabilities. Undergraduate students in a special education course were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. There was a significant difference in language usage between subjects who received a training module on the use of appropriate language and subjects who did not.

This research aims to analyze the use of various languages ​​by initial and final level students at UPN Veteran East Java on social media X and its effects on social interaction. With the development of communication technology, social media has become the main platform for students to interact, share information and express themselves. The use of language on social media is influenced by many factors, including age, environment and level of education. In this context, freshmen and final year students have different backgrounds and experiences, which influence the way they communicate on digital platforms. The research method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques in the form of observation. Data were analyzed to identify differences and similarities in the use of various languages ​​between the two groups of students. It is hoped that the results of this research will provide a deeper understanding of language dynamics among students, as well as the factors that influence their language choices on social media. These findings can also be a basis for developing better digital literacy among students and provide important insights into the dynamics of digital communication among the younger generation and their implications for the development of the Indonesian language in the modern era.

From context-free to definite-clause grammars: a type-theoretic approach

The rapidly growing influences of globalization unknowingly already mushed in the commynity. This is evidenced by the use of language Indonesian that is shifted with the use of traditional foreign languages. Technology development through modern communication tools become one of the important things in communicating in the globalization. The use of communication tools is usually utilized in daily life, both parents and children. This research uses qualitative descriptive research. The subject of this research is a community aged 7-12 years. The used is a poll given to respondents. Test of normality and homogenity test is used as test hypotheses.The research shows that there is an influence of globalization on the use of language Indonesian. It is seen from the tcount> ttable is 6,675 > 2,10092.

Natural language is the main presentation means in industrial requirements documents. In such documents, system behavior is specified in the form of scenarios, with every scenario written as a sequence of sentences in natural language. To translate scenarios to executable models, message sequence charts (MSCs), we proposed an approach that analyzes textual scenarios by means of computational linguistics by L. Kof (2007). The presented paper shows that (1) a more differentiated treatment of certain sentence types than in our previous work results in better precision of the text-to-MSC translation and (2) it is possible to automate agent identification, performed semiautomatically in our previous work.

Programming languages such as C, QuickBASIC and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) ladder logic have been part of Engineering Technology curriculums for years. The increasing availability of powerful and low-cost computing hardware, graphical user interface based multitasking operating systems, visual programming languages, and new programming standards have provided the environment for the implementation of Rapid Application Development (RAD) programming techniques. Examples of these techniques such as menu, text, graphical, and icon based programming are presented. Their widespread use for mainstream industrial control and data acquisition applications have resulted in a migration away from the use of traditional programming languages. The implications of this migration for the content of Engineering Technology curriculums are explored.

This study aimed to investigate the structure of the latent factor of an anxiety symptoms scale (Pudrovska et al., 2001) and the stability of invariance across groups of international students' classifications (gender, students' current degree, and students' status).In the large, non-clinical sample (619), Saudi students as international students in the USA completed the anxiety symptom scale.Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the factor structure of the scale, and a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) model was used to test stability of invariance across groups of students' classifications.The findings of the CFA indicated support for the original one-factor model.Additional analyses of the MGCFA method support for the measurement (configural, metric and strong) invariant and practical invariant components of this model.There was an invariant across gender.The instrument appeared to measure the same constructs in both groups (male and female).However, there was partially invariant across groups of students' current degree.The instrument appeared to measure the same constructs in both groups (undergraduate students and graduate students), except for Item 3.Moreover, there was partially invariant across groups of students' status.The instrument appeared to measure the same constructs in both groups (single and married), except for Item 3 and 4. Given that this study is the first investigation for the structure of anxiety symptoms scale (Pudrovska et al., 2001), it will be important for future studies to replicate the findings.

Possibilities for the programming languages of the future are explored. Projections are based on past accomplishments and future programming tool proposals. Influencing programming language directions at both the high levels of software development (e.g. problem decomposition) and at the lower levels (e.g. algorithm implementation) will be parallel execution. There could (finally) come a serious break with the traditional languages such as Fortran, Algol, PL-1, Pascal, C, and Ada. Very-high-level languages (VHLL) could take over in popularity. Within an increasing number of domains, the programming, in addition to man-machine interfaces, will be accomplished through multiple media (VHLL, speech, natural language, mouse, menus, touch screen, etc.). >

Many Korean parents in the U.S. send their children to heritage Korean language schools so that they maintain and further develop Korean as they acquire English. It is, thus, worthwhile to investigate how a Korean teacher and Korean students (as emergent bilinguals) used Korean and English in a Korean heritage classroom. The chapter addresses two research questions: (1) How did the teacher use Korean and English to make her instruction comprehensible during discussions about multicultural children's literature? (2) To what extent were there differences in the two groups of students' (Korean-American and Korean immigrant) use of translanguaging in their oral responses? The findings show that the teacher uses both Korean and English to make her instruction comprehensible and to facilitate her students' participation in class discussions. The findings further reveal differences in the two groups of students' use of language in their oral responses to multicultural texts.

There are more than 165 different programming languages in use in the United States today, where only higher level languages are considered as programming languages. If assembly languages were considered in this total it would obviously be much higher. The total number would be still greater if programming languages in use outside the United States were included. (They are excluded here only because of the difficulty of obtaining accurate and sufficiently detailed information.) As individuals, and as an industry, we should ask ourselves, What is the reason for this enormous proliferation?, particularly since many of these languages claim to be purpose. Some languages do serve a wide variety of users and applications, whereas others are restricted in intended usage. The languages which have few users are usually in that category because (a) they are basically for a narrow application area which has relatively few users or (b) information about the language has not been widely disseminated, or (c) the language and/or its implementation is ineffective and/or has inadequate support, or (d) the language is implemented only on a computer not widely used. The purpose of this paper is to provide some of the background and perspective on the existence, classifications, and general characteristics of those languages which are oriented toward a specialized application area.

Educators’ understanding and use of language is particularly relevant in relation to historically marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities. However, previous research has suggested that teacher education programs do not adequately address the concepts of language and disability. Content acquisition podcasts (CAPs) may provide them with knowledge related to language and disability. The purposes of this investigation were to determine how a CAP impacts undergraduate students’ understanding of language with regards to people with disabilities, and examine undergraduate students’ perceptions towards CAPs as a learning tool. Qualitative analyses, a pairwise t‐test, and a Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to determine CAP’s impact on 43 preservice educators. Results revealed that the CAP significantly increased the participants’ knowledge and that the participants had positive perceptions towards the CAP. Findings from focus group discussions indicated a number of themes emerged in relation to both language use regarding people with disabilities and CAPs. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Language allows for one to build and understand the world around them, as well as reflects how one views others. The language educators use when referring to and addressing students with disabilities creates a unique environment that can impact students with disabilities’ self‐esteem, and provides a model for typically developing students on how to interact with their peers with disabilities. Podcasts have been noted as an educational phenomenon, with social and “media‐rich” features that exemplify the uniqueness and broad appeal of online learning. What this paper adds Although there has been a great deal of research with regards to content acquisition podcasts (CAPs), most of the research has focused on topics that have singular answers, rather than focusing on complex issues that are often contextual, such as language use. This study utilized focus groups to better understand undergraduate students’ perceptions of CAPs. To the best of the investigators’ knowledge, is the first CAP study to do so. Implications for practice and/or policy This investigation suggests that CAPs can be used to teach ambiguous and complex information, such as language usage and disability, to preservice teachers. CAPs that are able to teach complex issues are a promising tool, as this would allow faculty members to positively impact preservice teachers’ instructional skills and enable CAPs to be used to prepare preservice teachers to build meaningful relationship with their students and create a positive learning environment.

In industrial requirements documents natural language is the main presentation means. In such documents, system behavior is specified in the form of scenarios, written as a sequence of sentences in natural language. The scenarios are often incomplete: For the authors of requirements documents some facts are so obvious that they forget to mention them. This surely causes problems for the requirements analyst. This paper presents an approach that analyzes textual scenarios with the means of computational linguistics, identifies where communicating objects or whole actions are missing in the text, completes the missing information, and creates a message sequence chart (MSC) including the information missing in the textual scenario. Finally, this MSC is presented to the requirements analyst for validation. The paper presents also a case study in which scenarios from a requirement document based on industrial specifications were translated to MSCs. The case study shows the feasibility of the approach.

Use cases are one of the most common mechanisms for describing and analyzing software system requirements. Due to use of natural language in use case descriptions, it is often assumed that they are easy to understand for stakeholders involved in the software development process [8]. However some authors argue [17,18] that the most common pitfalls of use cases written by professionals is that the customer does not understand them. In this paper we would like to consider whether it is appropriate to take their understandability to non-technically minded stakeholders for granted.We have analyzed 88 use cases written by final-year undergraduate computer science students for an assignment at the University of Hertfordshire and point out ways in which a computing-based mindset or way of thinking infiltrates the use cases, possibly making them difficult to understand for non-technical partners and hindering or pre-empting design decisions. We suggest that the problems we observed among students indicate a need for adding a new rule and/or guideline when teaching students to write good quality use cases, which is to ensure as far as possible that their use cases are free from computing-based structures and vocabulary. We also suggest ways in which students studying technical aspects of computer science might be led into practicing the use of non-technical language.