Article

Structure and Constraints in Interactive Exploratory Algorithm Learning

Author:

Nils FaltinAuthors Info & Claims

Revised Lectures on Software Visualization, International Seminar

Pages 213 - 226

Published: 20 May 2001 Publication History

Abstract

Traditionally an algorithm is taught by presenting and explaining the problem, the algorithm pseudocode and an algorithm animation or a sequence of static snapshots. My aim is to foster creativity, motivation and high level programming concepts by providing the student an alternative route to algorithm understanding: exploratory learning. The algorithm is structured into several functions and this structure is presented to the student. The student is encouraged to device a pseudocode description himself. An instance of the problem is presented on the level of each algorithm function. A graphical simulation of the data structures and some of the algorithm functions are provided. It is the student's task to find out a correct sequence of function calls that will solve the problem instance. The instructor can control the difficulty of the task by providing algorithm constraints. Each new constraint will shrink the solution space and thus ease the task.

References

[1]

John T. Stasko, John B. Domingue, Marc H. Brown und Blaine A. Price (Hrsg.): "Software Visualization". 1998. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

[2]

Christopher Hundhausen, Sarah Douglas and John Stasko. (In press). A meta-study of algorithm visualization effectiveness. Journal of Visual Languages and Computing, to appear.

[3]

Christopher Hundhausen: "Toward Effective Algorithm Visualization Artifacts. Designing for Participation and Communication in an Undergraduate Algorithms Course". Dissertation. June 1999. CIS-TR-99-07. Dept. of Comp. and. Inf. Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, USA. http://lilt.ics.hawaii.edu/~hundhaus/dis/.

[4]

T. Hung and S. H. Rodger: "Increasing Visualization and Interaction in the Automata Theory Course", Thirty-first SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, p. 6-10, 2000.

[5]

Linda Stern, Harald Sondergaard and Lee Naish: "A Strategy for Managing Content Complexity in Algorithm Animation". pp 127-130 in: Bill Manaris (Ed.), Proceedings of the 4th Annual SIGCSE/SIGCUE Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education - ITiCSE '99. June 1999. ACM Press, New York.

[6]

Amir Michail: "Teaching Binary Tree Algorithms though Visual Programming". In Symposium on Visual Languages, pages 38-45, IEEE, September 1996. http://opsis.sourceforge.net/

[7]

Bertrand Meyer: "Object-Oriented Software Construction". 2nd ed. 1997. Prentice Hall.

[8]

John R. Anderson: "Kognitive Psychologie". 2. ed. 1996. Spektrum Akad. Verlag. Translated from "Cognitive Psychology and its Implications". 4th ed. 1995. Freeman.

[9]

Walter Edelmann: "Lernpsychologie". 5. Auflage. 1996. Psychologie Verlags Union.

[10]

Seymour Papert: "Mindstorms. Children Computers and Powerful Ideas.". 1980. Basic Books.

[11]

Steven R. Hansen, N. Hari Narayanan and Dan Schrimpsher. 2000. Helping learners visualize and comprehend algorithms. Interactive Multimedia Electronic Journal of Computer-Enhanced Learning, 1(1).http://imej.wfu.edu/articles/2000/1/02/index.asp

[12]

John Stasko, Albert Badre and C. Lewis. Do Algorithm Animations Assist Learning? An Empirical Study and Analysis. 1993. In Proceedings of ACM INTERCHI'93 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 61-66). New York: ACM Press.

[13]

Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson und Ronald L. Rivest: "Introduction to Algorithms". 1990. MIT Press.

[14]

Robert Sedgewick: "Algorithms in C++". 1992. Addison-Wesley.

[15]

Robert W. Floyd. Algorithm 245 (treesort). Communications of the ACM, 7:701, 1964.

[16]

Marc Brown: "Algorithm Animation". 1987. MIT Press, Cambridge.

[17]

Nils Faltin: "Aktives Lernen von Algorithmen mit interaktiven Visualisierungen". pp. 121- 137 in: K. Mehlhorn and G. Snelting (Ed.): "Informatik 2000 - Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Informatik". 2000. Springer.

[18]

Nils Faltin: "Learning Algorithms with Algorithm Simulations". 2001. http://www-cg-hcie.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de/~faltin/SALA/int_vis_alg_e.html

[19]

Nils Faltin: "Collection of Courseware for Computer Science (OLLI)". 2001. http:// olli.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de.

Cited By

Naps TRößling GAlmstrum VDann WFleischer RHundhausen CKorhonen AMalmi LMcNally MRodger SVelázquez-Iturbide JCaspersen MJoyce DGoelman DUtting I(2002)Exploring the role of visualization and engagement in computer science educationWorking group reports from ITiCSE on Innovation and technology in computer science education10.1145/960568.782998(131-152)Online publication date: 24-Jun-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/960568.782998
Naps TRößling GAlmstrum VDann WFleischer RHundhausen CKorhonen AMalmi LMcNally MRodger SVelázquez-Iturbide J(2002)Exploring the role of visualization and engagement in computer science educationACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/782941.78299835:2(131-152)Online publication date: 24-Jun-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/782941.782998

Index Terms

Structure and Constraints in Interactive Exploratory Algorithm Learning
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education

Recommendations

Plan Recognition and Visualization in Exploratory Learning Environments

Modern pedagogical software is open-ended and flexible, allowing students to solve problems through exploration and trial-and-error. Such exploratory settings provide for a rich educational environment for students, but they challenge teachers to keep ...
Interactive exploratory visualization of 2D vector fields
EuroVis'08: Proceedings of the 10th Joint Eurographics / IEEE - VGTC conference on Visualization

In this paper we present several techniques to interactively explore representations of 2D vector fields. Through a set of simple hand postures used on large, touch-sensitive displays, our approach allows individuals to customdesign glyphs (arrows, ...
An Exploratory Study on Teachers' Perceptions of Game-based Situated Learning
Proceedings of the 2006 conference on Learning by Effective Utilization of Technologies: Facilitating Intercultural Understanding

Game-based Situated Learning (GBSL) is a web-based learning paradigm which is a combination of computer game and educational content, in which the learning context is charily designed to put a learner into a game-play environment that is similar or ...

Comments

Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image Guide Proceedings

Revised Lectures on Software Visualization, International Seminar

May 2001

403 pages

ISBN:3540433236

Editor:
Stephan Diehl

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg

Publication History

Published: 20 May 2001

Qualifiers

Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

2
Total Citations
View Citations
0
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)0
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0

Reflects downloads up to 16 Nov 2024

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Naps TRößling GAlmstrum VDann WFleischer RHundhausen CKorhonen AMalmi LMcNally MRodger SVelázquez-Iturbide JCaspersen MJoyce DGoelman DUtting I(2002)Exploring the role of visualization and engagement in computer science educationWorking group reports from ITiCSE on Innovation and technology in computer science education10.1145/960568.782998(131-152)Online publication date: 24-Jun-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/960568.782998
Naps TRößling GAlmstrum VDann WFleischer RHundhausen CKorhonen AMalmi LMcNally MRodger SVelázquez-Iturbide J(2002)Exploring the role of visualization and engagement in computer science educationACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/782941.78299835:2(131-152)Online publication date: 24-Jun-2002
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/782941.782998

View Options

View options

Login options

Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Full Access

Get this Publication

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

View Table of Contents