Java or Python: which programming language is more suitable for an introductory business IT course?

Abstract

This paper is about the question which programming language lends itself better to being the first programming language to learn: Java or Python. In Switzerland, the generation entering university usually has had no preceding contact to programming. This topic has only been introduced lately into the secondary education curriculum. The generation starting their Bachelor programs today (and for at least another five to ten years) usually had no training in programming (Ristic, 2017). From experience, we know that students of the “BSc in Business Information Technology” program struggle primarily with mathematics and programming. About 40-50 % of the students fail one or both of these subjects (even more in programming than in math). Thus, the question arises if the choice of the first programming language (Java for the time being) plays a role in this high failure rate. This paper tries to explore some of these questions. First, an analysis of the currently taught introductory programming languages at universities will be presented. Then, research about the suitability of certain languages as a first tool in undergraduate programs will be summarized (e.g. Alzahrani et al., 2018). Finally, conclusions are drawn, and implementation steps are outlined.