Story Programming: Explaining Computer Science Before Coding

Story Programming is an approach for teaching complex computational and algorithmic thinking skills using simple stories anyone can relate to. One could learn these skills independent of a computer or with the use of a computer as a tool to interact with the computation in the tale. This research study examines the use of Story Programming before teaching coding in a computer science orientation course to determine if it is a viable alternative to the code-focused way of teaching the class in the past. We measure the viability of the Story Programming approach by evaluating student-success and learning outcomes, as well as student reactions to post-survey questions.