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Learners’ Alternative Conceptions

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Guide to Teaching Computer Science

Abstract

This chapter focuses on learners’ alternative conceptions. Since prospective teachers in general, and prospective computer science teachers in particular, face difficulties in gaining the notion of alternative conceptions, it is important to address this issue in the MTCS course and to highlight the message that a learning opportunity exists in each pupils’ mistake (or misunderstanding). The chapter includes several pedagogical tools for exposing learners’ alternative conceptions and activities to be facilitated in the MTCS course.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    An illustrative metaphor compares the repetition of the question to bouncing a ball back to the pupil, letting the pupil be “in charge” of the ball (in our case, the question).

  2. 2.

    Based on Lapidot and Hazzan (2003).

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Hazzan, O., Ragonis, N., Lapidot, T. (2020). Learners’ Alternative Conceptions. In: Guide to Teaching Computer Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39360-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39360-1_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-39359-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-39360-1

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