Learning the interaction between pointers and scope in C++

Abstract

Traditionally, pointers, and their interaction with scope in C++ have been a source of frustration and confusion for students in our Computer Science II course. Since problem-solving is known to improve learning [6], we set out to develop software that would help our students better understand these concepts by repeatedly solving problems based on them.In this paper, we will first describe the design and features of this software. We conducted tests in two sections of our Computer Science II course this fall to evaluate the effectiveness of using this software. The results have been very encouraging: the class average in both the sections increased by 100% from the pretest to the post-test. We will also present the design and results of these tests.