Student reflections as an influence in the dynamics of an introductory programming course

Learning computer programming is known to be difficult for many students. In the context of a wider study, which aims to design a pedagogical strategy for introductory programming, we decided to use some less conventional activities. This strategy was applied in the last three academic years with some success. In this paper we will discuss a component that proved very relevant, the biweekly reflections we asked the students to write during the course. They were expected to reflect on the course, the different activities, their learning, the difficulties felt, and any other aspect they considered important. The analysis of the texts written gave the teacher several hints that lead to some successful individual interventions. From a research point of view this analysis gave also some important clues to the refinement of our pedagogical strategy.