Teaching Program Decomposition in CS1: A Conceptual Framework for Improved Code Quality

TL;DR

This paper introduces a conceptual framework for teaching program decomposition in CS1 courses, grounded in code style principles, to improve student skills and enable automated educational tools.

Contribution

It presents a systematic, teachable approach to program decomposition, including scaffolded exercises and potential for automation in educational tools.

Findings

Framework grounded in code style principles

Systematic approach for teaching decomposition

Potential for automation in educational tools

Abstract

Program decomposition is essential for developing maintainable and efficient software, yet it remains a challenging skill to teach and learn in introductory programming courses. What does program decomposition for procedural CS1 programs entail? How can CS1 students improve the decomposition of their programs? What scaffolded exercises can instructors use to teach program decomposition skills? We aim to answer all these questions by presenting a conceptual framework that (1) is grounded in the established code style principles, (2) provides a systematic approach that can be taught to students as an actionable strategy to improve the program decomposition of their programs, and (3) includes scaffolded exercises to be used in classroom activities. In addition, this systematic approach is automatable and can further be used to implement visualizers, automated feedback generators and digital tutors.