Evaluating the effectiveness of problem solving techniques and tools in programming

Programming is one of the essential and most difficult skills to learn in the computer field and other disciplines. Programming can seem more troublesome for novices who have not learned programming concepts, usage and other basic programming skills. To become a programmer, there are many things need to be considered in programming such as syntax, pragmatics and semantics. In addition, having a good knowledge about problem-solving techniques is vital. For instance, when some students face a new problem in programming courses and they feel understanding the problem is not easy, difficult tasks which students need to handle as well as, the manner of teaching programming may discourage them to do coding. Mostly, in the first phase of learning programming, they find it difficult, and they will not be inspired to do programming; this is one of the reasons that most students cannot do coding by themselves. An environment in which is a source and guidance to look for commands and explanations would be helpful, and interaction with teachers or friends can assist in overcoming most of the difficulties. This research aims to study about the effectiveness of learning the fundamental of problem solving in programming, as well as, learning these abilities in the early ages. This paper introduces and compares several existing problem-solving tools and shows how visual problem-solving techniques will help students to improve their programming skills. Furthermore, in this paper we analyze the experience of programming, problem solving tools and techniques and the role of social networks in programming based on gathered data which was collected through an online survey.