An Instructional System for Constructing Algorithms in Recursive Programming

Abstract This paper aims at designing an instructional system that teaches recursive programming to a novice programmer. In order to reduce a cognitive load which the novice bears in constructing algorithms in recursive programming, we propose the algorithm and solution for constructing the algorithm. The algorithm represents simple recursion as two iterations. We had an experiment to confirm if the instruction based on the solution is more effective than a programming textbook. As a result, the instruction had a significant effect. We have also designed an instructional system which helps the novice adaptively acquire the solution.