Be explicit about what direction references point when teaching about objects and references. Next Students have the misconception that objects "know" what methods are operating on them, rather than methods "knowing" what objects they are operating on. Other Tips By Other Tips By Juha Sorva Tags Content Misconceptions CS 1 Intro Programming External Source "Visual program simulation in introductory programming education" by Juha Sorva, from Appendix A: Misconception Catalogue