Your students put scrambled code blocks in order to build working programs. If they get stuck, the puzzle gets simpler, with fewer wrong choices and bigger blocks.
The student chooses the help. Blocks merge, wrong choices disappear, and subgoal labels appear.
Students put scrambled code blocks in order instead of writing from scratch. Research shows it’s faster, with similar learning gains.
Scaffolding works best when students have a say.
Shows what a group of blocks is for, without giving away the answer.
Takes away a wrong block and leaves the key decisions to the student.
Fewer pieces to arrange, with the same concept to learn.
Find out what’s wrong without changing the puzzle.
Three ways the puzzle adjusts when a student struggles.
Each correct block has a look-alike that contains a common student mistake.
When a student stalls, related lines merge into bigger blocks, so there are fewer decisions to make.
Each problem is split into labeled subgoals that show what each group of blocks does.
Adaptive Parsons problems come built into several curricula. There’s nothing to write or set up.
Parsons problems sit next to the reading and coding exercises. Assign a chapter and students get them.
No problem banks or difficulty levels to manage. Each puzzle adapts to each student automatically.
See the help Pathfinder offered each student, what they used, and where they still struggled.
Parsons problems on Alps compared with other platforms.
| Feature | Alps | Other platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusts difficulty for each student as they work | ||
| Students choose the kind of help | ||
| Paired distractors that drop away when students struggle | ||
| Blocks merge when students struggle | ||
| Subgoal labels students can reveal as a hint | ||
| Teachers see every step a student took | ~ | |
| Spots misconceptions from how students work | ~ | |
| Built into interactive textbooks | ~ |
Start with the free Educator Basic plan. Your students get research-backed coding practice from day one.