Title: Construction of a learning environment for algorithm and programming where learners operate objects in a domain world

Authors: Yasuhiro Noguchi, Takeharu Nakahara, Tatsuhiro Konishi, Satoru Kogure, Yukihiro Itoh

Addresses: Faculty of Informatics, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Johoku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 432-8011, Japan. ' Graduate School of Informatics, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Johoku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 432-8011, Japan. ' Faculty of Informatics, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Johoku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 432-8011, Japan. ' Faculty of Informatics, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Johoku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 432-8011, Japan. ' Faculty of Informatics, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1, Johoku, Hamamatsu-shi, Shizuoka-ken 432-8011, Japan

Abstract: Recently, non-engineers are becoming to learn algorithms and programs. Although learners| backgrounds have been greatly changed, programming/algorithm education methods remain unchanged. In a typical method, learners are given the grammar of a programming language, an algorithm and some exercises. In such a method, however, many learners who do not understand the algorithm repeat a trial-and-error process without considering the algorithm. Hence, our system can lets learners externalise their understanding of an algorithm by operating objects in a domain world before they code a program. In this paper, we describe the architecture of our system, and the result of our evaluation.

Keywords: programming education; algorithm learning; externalisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKWI.2010.034192

International Journal of Knowledge and Web Intelligence, 2010 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.273 - 288

Published online: 17 Jul 2010 *

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