Main Ideas
Process View of Functions
Students need to be able to see functions as a process rather than a mapping of a discrete input value to a discrete output value. The process view of functions is a way to look at functions as something of a "black box" which performs a process on a 'set' of input values rather than discrete input values. As opposed to the "action view" of functions in which some action is performed, e.g. substitution of values in an equation and a static output is achieved.
Covariational Reasoning
Covariational reasoning is the understanding of changes in input mapping to changes in output i.e. the covariation of outputs with inputs.
Research Questions
- Do students in introductory computer science / programming courses having similar struggles with programming procedures (alternate term for functions to avoid confusion)?
- Is the representation of functions in computer programming an abstraction from the mathematical view of functions that is helpful in articulating the borders between
To-Dos For Next Week
- Find keywords for searching for relevant research
- Do a review of reviews
- Find the interesting researchers in the CS education