Colorful examples for elaborating exploration of regularities in high-school CS1

Abstract

Exploration of regularities is a key element in problem analysis - the primary stage of algorithm design. The recognition of regularities during problem analysis elicits underlying principles of the design. While university teachers are well aware of the significance of regularities, high-school computer science teachers often fail to appreciate it, and focus on technical details of program design and implementation. We believe that the elaboration of regularities in high-school computer science education enhances teachers' and students' scientific conception of computer science.In this paper we present an approach for elaborating the role of regularities. The elaboration is done by directing the students, at the primary stage of problem analysis, to look for problem characteristics from various angles, in different ways, and for diverse tasks. Our approach is based on colorful and attractive examples, which include challenging problems and games, often with physical objects. Such examples enrich the students' intuition, and leave a long-term imprint.