Dynamic Polymorphism without Inheritance: Implications for Education

Polymorphism is a core OO concept. Despite the rich pedagogical experience in teaching it, there are still difficulties in its correct and multifaceted perception by students. In this article, a method about a deeper study of the concept of polymorphism is offered by extending the learning content of the CS2 C++ Programming course with an implementation variant of dynamic polymorphism by type erasure, without using inheritance. The research is based on an inductive approach with a gradual expansion of functionalities when introducing new concepts. The stages of development of such a project and the details of the implementation of each functionality are traced. The results of experimental training showed higher scores of the experimental group in mastering the topics related to polymorphism. Based on these findings, recommendations for the construction of the lecture course and the organization of the laboratory work are suggested.

@article{Donchev2022,
  title     = {Dynamic Polymorphism without Inheritance: Implications for Education},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {13},
  number    = {10},
  year      = {2022},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Ivaylo Donchev and Emilia Todorova},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2022.0131075},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2022.0131075}
}