A Visual Unplugged Activity to Introduce PDC

We introduce an unplugged activity designed for CS1 students to explore fundamental parallel computing concepts. The activity requires only gridded paper and basic coloring tools, such as pens, markers, crayons, or colored pencils. It was piloted in CS1 courses across six universities, where faculty successfully incorporated the activity into various CS1 curricula taught in different programming languages. Learning outcomes were assessed through surveys and examination of student work product. Student engagement was measured using a survey that evaluated participants’ perceptions of engagement (enjoyment, participation, and focus), understanding (comprehension of the material and computing concepts), and instructor effectiveness (preparedness, enthusiasm, and availability). Qualitative student feedback was favorable, and survey results suggest the activity effectively introduced parallel and distributed computing concepts.