Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences

The Elephant in the Syntax: A Comparative Study of Semantics‑First, Block‑Based, and Textual Programming

Syntax remains a major barrier for novices. Although block-based systems reduce or eliminate syntax errors, conditionals still challenge learners, likely because their semantics remain implicit. In this paper, we address this problem by introducing a semantics-first, state-visible programming approach inspired by the…