Thomas was right and I am listening now. My study focussed on program comprehension. I did not study correlations, nor the ability to writing code but what I found might be of some use to Sue. My discriminant analysis showed that, of some ten variables, experience in construction toys such as Lego was the only predictor of participants abitlity to read flow diagrams. http://www.ppig.org/papers/13th-chattratichart.pdf Jarinee ====================================== Dr Jarinee Chattratichart Senior Lecturer Faculty of Computing, Information Systems and Mathematics Kingston University United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20 8547 7839 Office: SB318, Penrhyn Road campus Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________ From: Thomas Green [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thu 3/22/2007 8:02 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: discuss@ppig.org; Chattratichart, Jarinee; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: PPIG discuss: Correlation between the ability to read code and the ability to write code? Rebecca Mancy found a very highly significant correlation between 'field dependency' and performance of CS students in examinations: she writes "Field dependency is clearly a critical skill and the correlation of 0.4 on the final exam, which the CS1P lecturers consider as the most representative of programming ability, is extraordinarily high." (NB: it was the students who were field INdependent who scored well.) Field dependency was measured using a visual test, the ability to perceive embedded visual figures. If you can see the figures, you are field independent. Full details in her PPIG paper, at the Carlow Workshop 2004, downloadable from: http://www.ppig.org/papers/16th-mancy.pdf Jarinee Chattatrichart also looked at visual and spatial abilities but didn't find any significant correlatiions. Rebecca, Jarinee, are you listening? Can you correct me if I've got it wrong, and perhaps give Sue some more help? Thomas Green [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: >I have just had my paper entitled "Spatial skills and navigation of >source >code" accepted for the ITiCSE conference. One of the questions I have >been >asked is if spatial ability correlates with program development ability, >an >area not looked at in my study (I focussed on program >comprehension/reading). > >Does anyone know of any work showing correlations between the ability to >read and write code? And if there is any work to show a relationship >between WRITING code and navigational/spatial ability? > >Thanks very much, > >Sue 73 Huntington Road, York YO31 8RL: 01904-673675 http://homepage.ntlworld.com/greenery/ This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
