Deep and surface metacognitive processes in non-traditional programming tasks

The different metacognitive approaches to spreadsheet languages can determine the effectiveness of teaching spreadsheet management. We can either stick to the popular but ineffective trial-and-error surface approach methods. Alternatively, we can switch to deep approach metacognitive methods which handle spreadsheets as a programming language and can either serve as a first language or as the ultimate language of nonprofessional end-users. In both cases the focus is on the development of the algorithmic skills of the students. We have introduced a deep approach metacognitive method, using array formula as the tool. When testing the students' results it was found that while in the pretest they preferred the traditional, problem loaded functions and methods, and they were hardly able to solve any problems, in the post- and the delayed post-tests they switched to the algorithmic approach, and their results increased significantly; their algorithmic skills improved, and this knowledge is stored in long term memory.