See Logic In Life: An Individualized Exercise Structure for Making and Sharing Computing Concept Connections
Computing and computing concepts are interconnected with virtually every aspect of daily life and every field of study. However, when teaching new computing concepts to novice programmers, the number of example domain applications that can be presented is extremely limited. In addition, programming assignments where students apply these concepts are typically closed-ended, fully defining the problem to be solved. As a result, there are few opportunities for students to take an active role in creating connections between computing concepts and situations where they can be applied. See Logic in Life exercises are short, non-programming exercises comprised of a logical and a visual component. The exercise format provides opportunities for students to explore and create their own connections between computing concepts and application domains. Further, by sharing these connections with fellow classmates, students are exposed to a breadth of applications for a given concept via a peer learning experience. Student feedback on the impacts of both creating and sharing computing connections via See Logic in Life exercises is presented. Sample See Logic in Life exercises, suitable for use in CS0 or CS1, are freely available at (redacted), ready to use for in-class or out-of-class assignments, or active learning exercises.