Recognition vs reverse engineering in Boolean concepts learning

This paper deals with two types of logical problems - recognition problems and reverse engineering problems, and with the interrelations between these types of problems. The recognition problems are modeled in the form of a visual representation of various objects in a common pattern, with a composition of represented objects in the pattern. Solving the recognition problem may therefore be understood as recognizing a visually-represented Boolean concept, with further formulation of the concept. The recognition problems can be perceived as a parallel process, so the recognition problems are considered a parallel type. Alternatively, solving a reverse engineering problem means reconstructing a Boolean function/concept implemented within a given "black box". Since such a reconstruction is typically performed sequentially, step by step, this type of problem can be considered a sequential type. We study the above two types of problems for the same set of Boolean concepts and compare the corresponding solutions obtained by a group of students. The paper presents results of experiments that study how the complexity of Boolean concepts affects the students' success in solving parallel and the sequential type problems respectively.