Bridging the Code Gap: Understanding Pedagogical Patterns in CS1 Programming Courses

Introductory Computer Science (CS1) courses act as a foundational gateway to computer science (CS) education. However, significant gaps remain between students' prior experiences and the conceptual understanding required for success in the field. While there have been strides in creating engaging CS1 courses, many communities are still underrepresented in the discipline. In this exploratory pilot study, we analyzed the examples and exercises used in CS1 programming courses at three universities ranked among the top 20 strong computer science programs by U.S. News & World Report. We employed both qualitative (textual) and quantitative (content) analyses of the course materials. Our findings revealed that math and numerical computing examples were commonly used across the three universities. Following that, examples related to US-specific contexts and languages were also popular. We contribute an understanding of CS1 book examples in computer science courses across top universities and discuss potential challenges and opportunities related to the growing global workforce in the United States.