Proposal of a Framework for a Stepwise Task Sequence in Programming

The execution process for solutions in problem-solving usually involves multiple operations; however, in many cases, the learner does not recognize why individual operations are performed. Therefore, the importance of understanding the grounds for performing individual operations has been pointed out. To fully understand individual operations in task presentation for learning support, it is necessary to discuss not only the properties of a single task, but also the kind of task sequence that should be designed within a continuous task. In general, the order and grain size of tasks presented in programming learning are determined by the teacher. However, if tasks are not presented in a stepwise manner, the learner may have difficulty or may have an incomplete understanding. In continuous tasks, such as programming learning, we assert that a framework based on the qualitative consideration of various properties, such as the order and granularity of tasks presented to learners, is necessary. Therefore, in this study, we examined the properties of sequential tasks to provide a framework for designing stepwise task sequences for programming learning support.