Deep and surface metacognitive processes in non-traditional programming tasks

The different metacognitive approaches to spreadsheet languages can determine the effectiveness of teaching spreadsheet management. We can either stick to the popular but ineffective trial-and-error surface approach methods. Alternatively, we can switch to deep approach metacognitive methods which handle spreadsheets as a programming language and can either serve as a first language or as the ultimate language of nonprofessional end-users. In both cases the focus is on the development of the algorithmic skills of the students. We have introduced a deep approach metacognitive method, using array formula as the tool. When testing the students´ results it was found that while in the pretest they preferred the traditional, problem loaded functions and methods, and they were hardly able to solve any problems, in the post- and the delayed post-tests they switched to the algorithmic approach, and their results increased significantly; their algorithmic skills improved, and this knowledge is stored in long term memory.