From Code to Concept: Evaluating Multiple Coordinated Views in Introductory Programming

Novice programmers often struggle to understand how code executes and to form the abstract mental models necessary for effective problem-solving, challenges that are amplified in large, diverse introductory courses where students' backgrounds, language proficiencies, and prior experiences vary widely. This study examines whether interactive, multi-representational visualizations, combining synchronized code views, memory diagrams, and conceptual analogies, can help manage cognitive load and foster engagement more effectively than single-visual or text-only approaches. Over a 12-week deployment in a high-enrolment introductory Python course (N = 829), students who relied solely on text-based explanations reported significantly higher immediate mental effort than those using visual aids, although overall cognitive load did not differ significantly among conditions. The multi-representational approach consistently yielded higher engagement than both single-visual and text-only methods. Usage logs indicated that learners' interaction patterns varied with topic complexity, and predictive modelling suggested that early experiences of high cognitive load were associated with lower longer-term perceptions of clarity and helpfulness. Individual differences, including language proficiency and prior programming experience, moderated these patterns. By integrating multiple external representations with scaffolded support adapted to diverse learner profiles, our findings highlight design considerations for creating visualization tools that more effectively support novices learning to program.