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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. 

This work in progress innovative practice paper documents ways in which current introductory computing courses are designed for an earlier generation of computers. We describe our plans for updating these courses for modern systems and programming practices and share details of the development of exemplar courses that will be adoptable by diverse institutions and programs teaching introductory programming courses.