Codeless Modules for Parallel and Distributed Computing in Early Computing Curriculum

We report on the results of a year-long intervention aimed at introducing parallel and distributed computing (PDC) concepts in introductory computing courses. In contrast to other efforts, our approach uses ''codeless'' modules that incorporate visualizations, simulations, and demonstrations, all of which do not require a programming background, making them accessible to novice computing students. To measure the effectiveness of our strategy, we designed and administered a pre/posttest to an intervention group (n2=75) and compared it with a control group (n1 = 87). A suite of nonparametric tests demonstrate that our codeless modules have a substantial positive effect on teaching PDC concepts to introductory computing students.