Depending on the programming language, someone who understands the "how" of programming from a high level can really learn a LOT on the job. .

Your guy should have taken the list of tasks you expected him to do and, on his own time, researched and learn from other sources, then bring that back into the office to execute. What engineering manager is going to be upset at a developer finding a well thought out existing solution to a common problem (and most of our development tasks are pretty common).

Of course, if the guy didn't understand the core foundations of code flow, then.... well...