Bridging the Experience Gap: An Informed Self-Placement Approach to Introductory Programming

Introductory programming courses often present significant challenges for computer science students, particularly due to differences in prior programming experience. To address this issue, we implemented a self-placement intervention designed to complement traditional academic advising. Unlike traditional placement exams, which assess specific programming skills under test conditions, our approach emphasizes student agency by integrating informed self-placement principles. To evaluate the effectiveness of the self-placement questionnaire for introductory programming courses, we analyzed the overall match rate, the consistency of its recommendations across multiple questionnaire attempts, and their alignment with students' eventual enrollments. Our pilot results suggest that the questionnaire provided meaningful guidance.