Enhancing Novice Programmers? Understanding through Interactive Visualizations and Multiple Representations

This research explores the challenges novice students face in un- derstanding and tracing programs, particularly when lacking prior programming experience. Novices often struggle with ineffective tracing strategies and developing accurate mental models, which are crucial for advancing in programming. While visualization and sketching have been proposed as methods to improve these skills, their effectiveness remains mixed. In my Ph.D. I propose studying investigating the potential of interactive visualizations and sketching, grounded in multiple representations theory, to enhance learner engagement, reduce cognitive load, and support various levels of program comprehension. By examining how these tools can be integrated into programming education, particularly through formats that range from analogies to concrete code representations, this work aims to offer practical guidelines to make programming more accessible and intuitive, thereby addressing a critical gap in computing education