Visual and textual programming languages: a systematic review of the literature

It is well documented and has been the topic of much research as well that Computer Science courses tend to have higher than average drop-out rates at third level, particularly so, for students advancing from first year to second year. This is a problem that needs to be addressed not only with urgency but also with caution. The required number of Computer Science graduates is growing every year, but the number of graduates is not meeting this demand, and one way that this problem can be alleviated is to encourage students, at an early age, towards studying Computer Science courses. This paper presents a systematic literature review that examines the role of visual and textual programming languages when learning to program, particularly as a First Programming Language. The approach is systematic in that a structured search of electronic resources has been conducted, and the results are presented and quantitatively analysed. This study will provide insight into whether or not the current approaches to teaching young learners programming are viable, and examines what we can do to increase the interest and retention of these students as they progress through their education.