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Problem Distributions in a CS 1 Course

In this paper we describe an ongoing study of novice programmers in an introductory programming course. Building on previously published results from the study we explore the distributions of different kinds of language related (rather than general or design related) problems over the sequence of laboratory exercises in the course. Data collected from student cohorts in 2003 and 2004 are compared, and the consistency of the effects observed gives us considerably confidence in the reliability and validity of the mechanisms of the study. While great care must be taken in the interpretation of the problem distributions, we suggest that they are useful for diagnosing aspects of course design and delivery, and that they may contribute to our general understanding of the process of teaching and learning a first programming language.