Abstract:

Over a decade ago, Dale Parsons and Patricia Haden developed a new practice tool for introductory programming classes. Initially called “Parson’s programming puzzles” but eventually becoming known simply as Parsons problems, this innovative learning tool presents students with lines of code that are out of order. The student’s task is to arrange the lines in the correct order. This approach allows students to focus solely on the logic of the program; syntax errors are not an issue since the students need not generate their own code. Sometimes, Parsons problems include distractors, which are lines of code that are not needed in the solution. In the years since Parsons and Haden developed this tool, Parsons problems have been widely adopted, and studies have been conducted on their effectiveness in a variety of educational settings. This presentation, which is a literature review, will closely examine these studies in order to propose a list of best practices for the use of Parsons problems. However, there are several aspects of the use of Parsons problems that have not been assessed; recommendations for future research will thus be made, including expanding the scope of their use.

Keywords:

Computer science education, algorithms, Parsons problems.