ABSTRACT
The study is based upon first nine hours of a two-year Higher National Diploma computer theory course. The students are new group though some are not new to the college. They are mostly in their late teens or early twenties. Given that the teacher, Simon Wood, wishes to create homogeneity in such a diverse group, there is an obvious desire, on his part, to find a commonly acceptable starting point. The two choices which Simon has before him relate to the way that programs are conceived, gestate in the mind, and find external form on paper. In their own attempt and in their copyings of Simon’s concisely executed examples, the students are exhorted to use pencils and rubbers for all working out and right up to final draft which will be done with a template. Nevertheless, the dominating feature of classroom interaction is one of control. The picture of Simon’s classes that has been developed is a logical one.
