Block-based programming languages (BBLs) have been proposed as a way to prepare students for learning to program in more sophisticated, text-based languages, such as Java. Hybrid BBLs add the ability to view and edit the block commands in auto-generated, text-based code. We compared the use of a non-hybrid BBL (Scratch), a hybrid BBL (Pencil Code), and no BBL across three sections of an introductory CS course that taught Java programming, to determine whether either type of BBL offered cognitive or affective advantages for learning Java. Students in the BBL groups were surveyed about their perceptions of each BBL in terms of ease of use and helpfulness in learning Java, and all three groups were compared on their performance in Java programming. The results showed that, in this introductory CS course, neither type of BBL offered an advantage in preparing students for learning Java. These results held regardless of the students’ level of Java knowledge prior to the course.

已经提出了基于块的编程语言（BBL），作为一种方法，使学生准备学习使用更复杂的基于文本的语言（例如Java）进行编程。混合BBL添加了以自动生成的基于文本的代码查看和编辑块命令的功能。我们比较了在讲授Java编程的CS入门课程的三个部分中使用非混合BBL（Scratch），混合BBL（Pencil Code）和不使用BBL的情况，以确定哪种类型的BBL提供认知还是情感优势学习Java。对BBL小组的学生进行了调查，以了解他们对每个BBL的看法，了解它们在学习Java方面的易用性和帮助性，并比较了这三个小组在Java编程方面的表现。结果表明，在此入门级CS课程中，两种类型的BBL都没有为学生准备学习Java提供优势。不论学生在课程开始之前的Java知识水平如何，这些结果都会保持不变。