Gender differences in types of assignments preferred: Implications for computer science instruction

A study analyzing survey results of more than 850 students enrolled in college computer courses was conducted. The survey included, among other things, questions about students’ preferences for a programming assignment. The three choices given were examples of common types of programming assignments found in CS1 textbooks: an application to “real-world” activities, a game program, and a mathematical problem to be solved. This study reports the preferences of all students (includes 65 different majors) answering the survey question and also compares the results with the CS majors. Gender differences were evident from the study, and implications for developing assignments to better motivate and involve various groups of students in Computer Science programming classes are discussed. (Contains 7 figures.)