Parsons Problems for Equivalence Proofs in Logic

Many Computer Science (CS) students find it challenging to work Ebrahim Rahimi Computer Science Department, Open University of the Netherlands Netherlands [email protected] Marten van den Berg, Bastiaan Heeren, and Ebrahim Rahimi. 2024. Parsons with the formulas and laws of propositional logic. It often takes a significant amount of effort from students to fully comprehend these concepts, which can lead to discouragement andevendropout. Learning the subject matter can be challenging due to various aspects, such as knowing the laws for rewriting logic formulas, recognizing patterns, and dealing with mathematical syntax. When these aspects have to be learned simultaneously, they can overwhelm learners and hinder their learning process due to cognitive overload. In this study, we developed a prototype for constructing equivalence proofs in logic using Parsons problems. Initially proposed to teach programming, Parsons problems aim to scaffold and alleviate the cognitive load by guiding learners to complete tasks through drag-and-drop interfaces, eliminating the need for typing or starting from scratch. The study investigates how Parsons problems can be applied in a new context for learning to work with logical formulas. Following the design science research methodology, we developed a prototype grounded in related theoretical concepts and refined iteratively based on input from domain experts. The prototype can be adjusted to user preferences, feedback can be given in various forms, and the difficulty level can be selected. Additionally, a variation of Parsons problems is introduced that allows the user to work in both top-down and bottom-up directions and to select a rewrite rule between blocks. The final prototype received positive evaluations from users (n=15) regarding its learning usefulness and ease of use.