Design and Implementation of Interactive Tutorials for Data Structures

The Tutorial Generation Toolkit (TGT) is a set of Java classes that supports authoring interactive tutorial applications. This paper describes extensions to the capabilities of the TGT to support styles of interaction identified as effective in recent research. Several new tutorials aimed at the data structures course built using the enhanced toolkit are also described

PEDAGOGICAL POTENTIAL OF ALGORITHM VISUALIZATIONS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHING

Prema konstruktivističkoj teoriji, vizualizacija pomaže učenicima u stvaranju vlastitog mentalnog modela. Ne bismo joj trebali namijeniti ulogu pomoćnog sredstva kojim nastavnik preslikava mentalni model iz svoje glave u glavu učenika principom epistemološke vjernosti. Učinkovita upotreba novih obrazovnih tehnologija mora uzeti u obzir teoriju multimedijalnog dizajna temeljenu na istraživanjima kako studenti uče. Ipak, odlučujući faktor za učinkovitost vizualizacije nije atraktivnost korištenog alata već način i stupanj uključenja učenika u razine aktivnosti koje su više od samog gledanja. Iako nastavnici dobrobiti vizualizacije smatraju značajnima, nedovoljno je koriste. To se ne može objasniti samo naporom potrebnim za traženje i učenje dobrih primjera i potrebnom prilagodbom vizualizacije predavačkom pristupu i sadržaju podučavanja. Objašnjenje može biti i u mogućoj želji nastavnika da zadrže svoju poziciju autoriteta.According to the constructivist theory, visualization helps students create their own mental models. Visualization should not have a role of an assisting device which translates the teacher mental model from his head to the head of a student by principle of epistemological fidelity. Effective use of educational technologies must take into account the theory of multimedia design based on studies of how students learn. However, the deciding factor for the effectiveness of visualization is not the attractiveness of used tools, but the manner and degree of engagement of students in the activity levels that are more than just viewing. Although the benefits of visualization teachers deem important, they use them insufficiently. This cannot be explained only by the effort necessary to find and learn good examples nor by adaptation of the visualization to the teaching approach and content. The explanation could also lie in the possible desire of teachers to maintain their position of authority

Artificial intelligence techniques for supporting face-to-face and online collaborative learning

Collaborative learning provides opportunities for data-intensive, educational innovation because learners need to externalize some of their mental processes in the form of dialogue, drawings, and other representations. Digital traces of these externalizations can be captured and analyzed using various Artificial Intelligence and analytic techniques. This can further accelerate researchers’ analysis cycles and help in the development of more effective tools that support collaboration and learning. This chapter describes techniques currently available for supporting face-to-face and online collaborative learning situations. We particularly focus on techniques that provide intelligent support to: (i) form effective groups, (ii) provide direct feedback to students, (iii) collaborate on scripts, (iv) enhance group and teacher awareness, and (v) perform summative assessments in the pre-active, inter-active and post-active phases of collaborative learning. We discuss potential future trends for research and development in this area, emphasizing the need for evaluating the validity, utility and interpretability of emerging techniques for modelling and assessing meaningful aspects of collaborative learning