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Problem-Solving Strategies

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Guide to Teaching Computer Science

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Abstract

Problem-solving is generally considered as one of the most important and challenging cognitive activities in everyday as well as in any professional contexts. Specifically, it is one of the central activities performed by computer scientists as well as by computer science learners. However, it is not a uniform or linear process that can be taught as an algorithm to be followed, and the understanding of this individual process is not always clear. Computer science learners often face difficulties in performing two of the main stages of a problem-solving process: problem analysis and solution construction. Therefore, it is important that computer science educators be aware of these difficulties and acquire appropriate pedagogical tools to guide and scaffold learners in learning these skills. This chapter is dedicated to such pedagogical tools. It presents several problem-solving strategies to address in the MTCS course together with appropriate activities that mediate them to the prospective computer science teachers by enabling them to experience the different strategies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    An algorithmic problem is defined by what is given – the initial conditions of the problem and its goals – the desired state, what should be accomplished. An algorithm problem can be solved with a series of actions formulated formally either by pseudo-code or a programming language. See Sect. 12.4.1.

  2. 2.

    In advanced computer science classes, it is relevant to mention that in computer science, in addition to the development of problem-solving strategies, special emphasis is placed also on non-solvable problems (see Sect. 12.4.3).

  3. 3.

    Role of Variables in Python: http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/stud_vers/stud_Python_eng.html

  4. 4.

    Roles of Variables with examples in Scratch: https://www.sisd.net/cms/lib/TX01001452/Centricity/domain/433/cse/1.1.5%20RolesOfVariables_UsedActivity1.2.4.pptx

  5. 5.

    The Roles of Variables home page (http://saja.kapsi.fi/var_roles/) is a rich resource and contains different kinds of educational resources.

  6. 6.

    See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/role_intro.html

  7. 7.

    See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/try.html

  8. 8.

    See http://cs.uef.fi/~pgerdt/RAE/

  9. 9.

    See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/why_roles.html

  10. 10.

    See http://www.cs.joensuu.fi/~saja/var_roles/teaching.html

  11. 11.

    See http://saja.kapsi.fi/var_roles/literature.html

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education in Science & Technology, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Orit Hazzan & Tami Lapidot

  2. Faculty of Education, Beit Berl College, Doar Beit Berl, Israel

    Noa Ragonis

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  1. Orit Hazzan
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  2. Noa Ragonis
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  3. Tami Lapidot
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Hazzan, O., Ragonis, N., Lapidot, T. (2020). Problem-Solving Strategies. In: Guide to Teaching Computer Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39360-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39360-1_8

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