short-paper

Willow: A Tool for Interactive Programming Visualization to Help in the Data Structures and Algorithms Teaching-Learning Process

Authors:

Leopoldo TeixeiraAuthors Info & Claims

SBES '19: Proceedings of the XXXIII Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering

Pages 553 - 558

https://doi.org/10.1145/3350768.3351303

Published: 23 September 2019 Publication History

Abstract

Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) are one of the main pillars of software development; however, abstractions around them are hard to teach and to be understood by students. The most common approaches adopted by instructors to demonstrate the behavior of DSAs are the use of resources like slides and whiteboard sketches to create program illustrations. This task may be slow and tedious because these illustrations need to be continuously updated to represent new algorithm inputs and modifications. In this paper, we propose Willow, a tool for Program Visualization Simulation (PVS), which supports user interactions to manipulate the generated visualizations. With these manipulations in the visualization, we expect the user to be able to create better examples, resembling Algorithm Visualization Simulation tools (AVS), which are specialized in providing visualizations for specific DSAs. We evaluated our tool through a preliminary qualitative study with teaching assistants from an introductory Computer Science course who all give review lessons to the students. Our preliminary results show that the tool was well accepted by the participants, but we still need more studies to validate the use of the tool in classrooms. With the use of our tool features in the teaching-learning process, we expect that instructors may be able to interactively and more clearly explain DSAs to their students, without the hassle of hours creating slides or drawing by hand messy examples of algorithms.

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Alasmari OSinger JAda M(2024)Analysis of Research into the Teaching and Learning of Programming: An Updated Review2024 9th International STEM Education Conference (iSTEM-Ed)10.1109/iSTEM-Ed62750.2024.10663138(1-6)Online publication date: 31-Jul-2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/iSTEM-Ed62750.2024.10663138
Tsichouridis AXinogalos SAmpatzoglou A(2023)Educational Programming Environments for Enhancing Conceptual Design in the Object-Oriented Paradigm: A Systematic Mapping StudyJournal of Educational Computing Research10.1177/0735633123120325162:1(290-322)Online publication date: 21-Sep-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331231203251
Arévalo-Mercado CMuñoz-Andrade ECardona-Reyes HRomero-Juárez M(2023)Applying Cognitive Load Theory and the Split Attention Effect to Learning Data StructuresIEEE Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologias del Aprendizaje10.1109/RITA.2023.325058018:1(107-113)Online publication date: Feb-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/RITA.2023.3250580
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Willow: A Tool for Interactive Programming Visualization to Help in the Data Structures and Algorithms Teaching-Learning Process
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs

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SBES '19: Proceedings of the XXXIII Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering

September 2019

583 pages

ISBN:9781450376518

DOI:10.1145/3350768

General Chairs:
Ivan Machado
UFBA
,
Rodrigo Souza
UFBA
,
Rita Suzana Maciel
UFBA
,
Claudio Sant'Anna
UFBA

Copyright © 2019 ACM.

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SBC: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação

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Publication History

Published: 23 September 2019

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Short-paper
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Refereed limited

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Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco

Conference

SBES 2019

SBES 2019: XXXIII Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering

September 23 - 27, 2019

Salvador, Brazil

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SBES '19 Paper Acceptance Rate 67 of 153 submissions, 44%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 147 of 427 submissions, 34%

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Cited By

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https://doi.org/10.1109/iSTEM-Ed62750.2024.10663138
Tsichouridis AXinogalos SAmpatzoglou A(2023)Educational Programming Environments for Enhancing Conceptual Design in the Object-Oriented Paradigm: A Systematic Mapping StudyJournal of Educational Computing Research10.1177/0735633123120325162:1(290-322)Online publication date: 21-Sep-2023
https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331231203251
Arévalo-Mercado CMuñoz-Andrade ECardona-Reyes HRomero-Juárez M(2023)Applying Cognitive Load Theory and the Split Attention Effect to Learning Data StructuresIEEE Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologias del Aprendizaje10.1109/RITA.2023.325058018:1(107-113)Online publication date: Feb-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/RITA.2023.3250580
Almadhoun EParham-Mocello J(2023)Students’ difficulties with inserting and deleting nodes in a singly linked list in the C programming languageJournal of Computer Languages10.1016/j.cola.2022.10118474(101184)Online publication date: Jan-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cola.2022.101184
Lakho SJalbani AMemon ISoomro SChandio A(2023)Blended Enriched Virtual Model for the Prediction of Students’ Performance Using Probablistic Based ModelSoft Computing Applications10.1007/978-3-031-23636-5_11(138-144)Online publication date: 27-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23636-5_11
Blanchard JHott JBerry VCarroll REdmison BGlassey RKarnalim OPlancher BRussell SQuille KAlshaigy BBecker BQuille KLaakso M(2022)Stop Reinventing the Wheel! Promoting Community Software in Computing EducationProceedings of the 2022 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3571785.3574129(261-292)Online publication date: 27-Dec-2022
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Feijóo-García PKapoor AGardner-McCune CRagan E(2022)Effects of a Block-Based Scaffolded Tool on Students’ Introduction to Hierarchical Data StructuresIEEE Transactions on Education10.1109/TE.2021.310960465:2(191-199)Online publication date: 1-May-2022
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Lin WKuo TChen CHuang Y(2022)AR Compiler: A Visualization Data Structured Program Learning SystemInnovative Technologies and Learning10.1007/978-3-031-15273-3_7(63-67)Online publication date: 29-Aug-2022
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Guo P(2021)Ten Million Users and Ten Years Later: Python Tutor’s Design Guidelines for Building Scalable and Sustainable Research Software in AcademiaThe 34th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3472749.3474819(1235-1251)Online publication date: 10-Oct-2021
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Goswami BDhar AGupta AGupta A(2021)Algorithm Visualizer: Its features and working2021 IEEE 8th Uttar Pradesh Section International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (UPCON)10.1109/UPCON52273.2021.9667586(1-5)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2021
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