10/15/2006 1ELearn 2006 VARScope Personalized Guidance for Example Selection in an Explanatory Visualization System Dr. Peter Brusilovsky & Gayathri Krishnamoorthy School of Information Sciences University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA October 15, 2006

10/15/2006 2ELearn 2006 Introduction Program Visualization – key in computer science education Program Visualization – key in computer science education Explanatory Visualization is one step ahead, augmenting visualization with natural language explanations. Explanatory Visualization is one step ahead, augmenting visualization with natural language explanations. Explanations on the fly Explanations on the fly Pre-authored explanations (most common, easy to create) Pre-authored explanations (most common, easy to create) Growing tremendously every year Growing tremendously every year Problem to students: Which is the best example for me?

10/15/2006 3ELearn 2006 Focus of the Paper Solution for the example selection problem Solution for the example selection problem Personalized guidance using adaptive link annotation in the form of visual cues Personalized guidance using adaptive link annotation in the form of visual cues Way to enhance an existing explanatory visualization system with personalized guidance functionality Way to enhance an existing explanatory visualization system with personalized guidance functionality Using an available student model server (eg., CUMULATE) Using an available student model server (eg., CUMULATE) Providing an adaptive panel Providing an adaptive panel

10/15/2006 4ELearn 2006 VARScope - Features Variable Scope is one of the critical topics in introductory programming courses (Instructor’s survey) Variable Scope is one of the critical topics in introductory programming courses (Instructor’s survey) VARScope guides students in learning the concept of “variable scope” in C programming language by offering VARScope guides students in learning the concept of “variable scope” in C programming language by offering Personalized guidance in choosing the best example Personalized guidance in choosing the best example Visualizing the progress made on various concepts using progress bars Visualizing the progress made on various concepts using progress bars Explanatory visualization of pre-authored examples Explanatory visualization of pre-authored examples

10/15/2006 5ELearn 2006 VARScope – Interface

10/15/2006 6ELearn 2006 VARScope - Interface Adaptive Panel Annotated Links 2. Concept Grid 3. Progress Bars

10/15/2006 7ELearn 2006 Concepts and Indexing 6 Domain concepts were identified 6 Domain concepts were identified Global, Local, Static, Block Scope, Parameter & Extern Global, Local, Static, Block Scope, Parameter & Extern Each example line was indexed with these concepts Each example line was indexed with these concepts Problem#Line#Concepts p65local p66local p69parameter p611static p612parameter p6 12 static p613static

10/15/2006 ELearn VAR Scope Initiator Servlet Applet Relay Servlet 3. User, group, progress 1. Html Link (user, group) 2. Initial Progress? USER MODEL 4. User events 5. User events Implementation 6. Problem Suggestion, progress ADAPT2 Protocol 6. Progress, problems explored

10/15/2006 9ELearn 2006 Personalized Example Suggestion Example suggestion is influenced by 1. Difficulty level of the example Proportional to the number of domain concepts Proportional to the number of domain concepts Level 1, 2, 3 or 4, with level 1 on the easier side suitable for first-time exploration Level 1, 2, 3 or 4, with level 1 on the easier side suitable for first-time exploration 2. User’s current knowledge of the domain concepts 3. Comfort level of the user Calculated based on number of examples explored under each difficulty level Calculated based on number of examples explored under each difficulty level Corresponds to one of the difficulty levels of the example Corresponds to one of the difficulty levels of the example

10/15/ ELearn 2006 Personalized Example Suggestion Appropriate examples Appropriate examples Examples unexplored under user’s current comfort level Examples unexplored under user’s current comfort level If all examples under current comfort level is explored, suggest examples from subsequent higher difficulty level If all examples under current comfort level is explored, suggest examples from subsequent higher difficulty level In-appropriate examples In-appropriate examples Examples whose difficulty level is much higher than the user’s comfort level Examples whose difficulty level is much higher than the user’s comfort level

10/15/ ELearn 2006 Evaluation Questionnaire Questionnaire 6 users evaluated VARScope, shared their experience by filling out our questionnaire which captured user’s perception on Easy navigability Easy navigability Learning goal achievement Learning goal achievement Interface Design Interface Design Ability to visualize progress Ability to visualize progress Problem Suggestion Problem Suggestion Amount of Help provided Amount of Help provided Think-aloud Think-aloud 3 think-aloud studies were performed were performed