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Table 3.4 Problem solving in two programming paradigms
Worksheet—problem solving in different programming paradigms
PartA
Solve the following task in at least two programming paradigms. Do not implement the solu-
tion. Given an arrangement of domino stones, determine whether or not it is a legal arrange-
ment and return True or False accordingly
For example, this is an illegal arrangement of Domino stones:
and this is a legal arrangement of Domino stones:
PartB
After solving the task, reflect
What stages you went through while working on the solution in each programming paradigm?
Were the stages similar? Were they different?
For each programming paradigm, describe which of its characteristics are expressed in your
solution.
If you had to choose a programming paradigm to solve the problem, what would be your pref-
erable paradigm? Explain your choice
Part A requires students to think about the level of abstraction represented by
the programming paradigms; that is, to think on a relatively higher level of
abstraction. Part B, in which they are asked to reflect on the strategies they
employed in Part A, further increases the abstraction level of students' think-
ing since they are asked to reflect on their own problem-solving strategies
and to discuss similarities and differences between programming paradigms.
• Stage B: Class discussion
The class discussion that summarizes the activity should highlight the fact
that programming paradigms provide a context in which a discussion on
different levels of abstraction can take place (e.g., by addressing mecha-
nisms that programming paradigms and programming languages provide
to express and create abstraction).
Activity 15: Activity Design for a Given Programming Paradigm
Based on the above activities, in this activity the students practice the con-
struction of tasks that are suitable to be solved by a specific programming
paradigm. The importance of this activity derives from the fact that the cur-
riculum the prospective computer science teachers will teach in the future is
probably based on a specific programming paradigm. Therefore, they should
be aware of the fitness of the tasks that they will develop for their future
pupils to the programming paradigm used by the curriculum.
• Stage A: Tasks and paradigms, group work
The students are asked to work in groups, to choose two programming
paradigms with which they are familiar, and for each paradigm:
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