Work in progress - a meta-study of software tools for introductory programming

This work is a meta-study of software tools recently developed for the introductory programming sequence. Tools are classified according to their type, the pedagogical paradigm supported, intended usage, and follow-up language; any reported assessment of their effectiveness is also analyzed and evaluated. Our intention is that this work will serve to aid educators seeking to improve their instruction in introductory programming through the use of instructional software tools.