Task-Specific Programming Languages for Promoting Computing Integration: A Precalculus Example

A task-specific programming language (TSPL) is a domain-specific programming language (in programming languages terms) designed for a particular user task (in human-computer interaction terms). Users of task-specific programming are able to use the tool to complete useful tasks, without prior training, in a short enough period that one can imagine fitting it into a normal class (e.g., around 10 minutes). We are designing a set of task-specific programming languages for use in social studies and precalculus courses. Our goal is offer an alternative to more general purpose programming languages (such as Scratch or Python) for integrating computing into other disciplines. An example task-specific programming language for precalculus offers a concrete context: An image filter builder for learning basic matrix arithmetic (addition and subtraction) and matrix multiplication by a scalar. TSPLs allow us to imagine a research question which we couldn't ask previously: How much computing might students learn if they used a multiple TSPLs in each subject in each primary and secondary school grade?