Scenario-based programming: reducing the cognitive load, fostering abstract thinking

Abstract

We examine how students work in scenario-based and object- oriented programming (OOP) languages, and qualitatively analyze the use of abstraction through the prism of the dif- ferences between the paradigms. The findings indicate that when working in a scenario-based language, programmers think on a higher level of abstraction than when working with OOP languages. This is explained by other findings, which suggest how the declarative, incremental nature of scenario-based programming facilitates separation of con- cerns, and how it supports a kind of programming that al- lows programmers to work with a less detailed mental model of the system they develop. The findings shed light on how declarative approaches can reduce the cognitive load involved in programming, and how scenario-based program- ming might solve some of the difficulties involved in the use of declarative languages. This is applicable to the design of learning materials, and to the design of programming lan- guages and tools.