1. IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Integrated Visualization-based Environment for Computer Science Education
Kimio Sugita, Youzou Miyadera
Kensei Tsuchida, Takeo Yaku
I would like to present the integrated visualization-based environment for computer science education.
This project is collaborated with Youzou Miyadera, Kensei Tsuchida, Takeo Yaku and myself.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

2. Contents Concept of visualization
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Contents
Concept of visualization
Purpose, target subjects and related project
Visualization of Education
Components of Environment
Experience
Conclusion
Contents of presentation are
1. Concept of visualization,
2. Purpose, target subjects and related project,
3. Visualization of education,
4. Components of environment
5. Experience of the system, and
6. Conclusion and future works.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

3. Concept of visualization
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Concept of visualization
Using graphical description systems such as diagrams, table forms and symbols.
Using tools with graphical user interface.
Formal definition of graphical object by graph grammar and CFG.
Integration of resources based on an unified concept.
Graphical expression is very popular with education.
Visualization is an extension of this graphical expression, analogous to formal language theory.
It provides graphical description systems such as diagrams, table forms and graphic symbols, and graphical user interface.
However, these are naïve mean of visualization.
To construct a visualization representation system,
these graphical objects should be defined by formal concept and integrated by an unified formal concept.
The formalism contains graph grammar, attribute graph grammar, regular string grammar and context free string grammar.
These formalisms, grammars work to generate and check errors, and also to construct syntactical processing systems such as editor and management systems.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

4. Programming language, programming and algorithm. Related Project
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Purpose
To construct an integrated educational environment using visualization concept.
Target subjects
Programming language, programming and algorithm.
Related Project
Ipsen project by Prof. Nagle
Purpose of this work is to construct an integrated educational environment using visualization concept.
And target subjects of the system is mainly programming language, programming, algorithm and related areas.
There are some projects based on visualization.
Ipsen project produced by Professor Nagle is a typical one..
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

5. Visualization of Education
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Visualization of Education
Graphical description system
(1) Hichart program diagram with an
attribute GG and NCE GG.
(2) Hiform program documentation system
with context free string grammar, NCE
GG and ELC GG.
Now, we introduce how visualization principle is applied to our system.
Firstly, I like to introduce graphical description system.
Regarding with our project target, we need two description system.
1. Description method of program or algorithm is a first important factor.
And we defined a program diagram to describe algorithm and data structure and named it Hichart.
This program diagram is defined using an attribute graph grammar and a NCE graph grammar.
2. Program specification is another indispensable part for programming.
We introduced nested tabular form for program documentation and program database and named it Hiform.
This is defined using context free string grammar, ECL graph grammar and NCE graph grammar.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

6. Visualization of Education(cont.)
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Visualization of Education(cont.)
Tools with GUI
Each processing system, Live, Net-news
reader etc.
Integrated environments
(1) Keyaki CAI system
(2) Spiral educational model.
As tools with graphical user interface, we developed processing system for Hichart and Hiform with GUI.
We also developed program analyzing tools and net-news reader with GUI.
For integration of these components, we developed network oriented environment named Keyaki CAI 2000 system and an abstract educational model, spiral model.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

7. Components of the environment
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Components of the environment
Hichart program diagram and its processing system
Hiform program document system and its processing system
Program document-base
Program analyzer
Network-news reader mechanism
Textbooks and courseware
Components of the environment is as following.
The first component is Hichart processing system.
The second component is Hiform processing system.
The third is program analyzer. This is an application of Hichart.
The 4th is program document database.
The 5th is network-news reader that uses a improved searching mechanism.
The system has a software library of computer program and specification.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

8. Overview of Keyaki CAI 2000 IFIP-16/ICEUT2000 IFIP16/ICEUT2000
This figure shows a conceptual diagram of the environment.
Keyaki CAI 2000.
These tools guide and help studies of programming and computer science education.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

9. Program Diagram (Hichart)
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Program Diagram (Hichart)
Next, I like to introduce some details of the visual object and their processing systems.
This figure shows an example of Hichart program diagram for Hanoi Tower Problem.
Diagrams of this kind are generally called tree structured diagram.
Shape of each cells and hierarchical structure shows important character of a program.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

10. Processing system of Hichart
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Processing system of Hichart
Syntactical editor.
Bilateral translation from string code to program diagrams.
Drawing algorithm of diagram in an attractive style.
Main features of Hichart processing system are editing of program diagrams, bilateral translation from string code to Hichart diagram and drawing of program diagrams in an attractive form.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

11. Program Document (Hiform)
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Program Document (Hiform)
This figure shows an example of Hiform program document form.
This diagram is an example of General Document.
Set of items included in all Hiform documents are compliant with ISO 6592 :Guideline for the document of computer based application system, Annex A through C.
We defined 18 types of nested forms to express all contents described in ISO guideline.
These nested tabular forms are used not only for description of program specification but also to manage a program developing process.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

12. Processing system of Hiform
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Processing system of Hiform
Syntactical editor of Hiform tabular forms.
Structure editor of Hiform documents with GUI.
Hiform document-base management system.
Hiform management system including Hiform syntax editor, and program document-base management system are main function for Hiform processing system.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

13. Portion of HiDG IFIP-16/ICEUT2000 IFIP16/ICEUT2000
This figure shows a part of Hiform Document Grammar described in BNF.
HiDG rules how 18 Hiform document forms should be arranged and processed.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

14. Display of Live IFIP-16/ICEUT2000 IFIP16/ICEUT2000
This figure is a display of Live, an application of graph grammar.
This display shows how algorithm change value of parameters.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

15. Display of Network-news reader
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Display of Network-news reader
This figure shows a display of net-news retrieving system.
This system is implemented by an improved retrieving algorithm.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

16. Resource Map of Usage http://www.hichart.org/ IFIP-16/ICEUT2000
Combining these mechanisms, we constructed a distributed mechanism for computer science education.
This figure shows the resources and environment used in this mechanism.
To menu is at “
The courseware and library are managed by Yaku Laboratory at Nihon University.
The Hiform and program document database is developed at Sugita Laboratory at Tokai University.
The multimedia mechanism is at Miyadera Laboratory at Tokyo Gakugei University.
Network-news reader mechanism is developed by Tsuchida Laboratory at Toyo University.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

17. Experience Classes using this environment :
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Experience
Classes using this environment :
literacy, programming language, programming, algorithm.
Lecture notes and courseware of 70 types of algorithms for 6 semesters.
Experience in the last 10 years and 7000 students.
These classes have included “Introduction to programming languages”, “application of computer science”, “exercise in programming”, and “graduation exercises”.
Appending to components mentioned above,
courseware consists of 70 type of algorithms, 3000 frames of courseware and 300 pages of lecture notes for 6 semesters.
More than 7000 students have used the system over the last 10 years, in several classes
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

18. Integrated Educational Model (Spiral model)
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Integrated Educational Model
(Spiral model)
Here is another abstract educational model that is an application of our visualization methods.
This model is named spiral model.
This figure shows phases of the spiral educational model and facilitating system.
First phase of education is ordinary lecture of a selected subject.
Lecture note, courseware and multimedia CAI support students in this phase.
Second phase is a study of requirement, and Hiform document-base supports users in this phase.
Third phase is an analysis and coding of the subject, and Hichart diagram supports this phase.
Last phase is a test and documentation of the subject, and Hiform form is useful tool in this phase.
Lecture proceeds to the next subject.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

19. IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Conclusion
Summary
Establishment of educational environment using visualization concepts.
Future works
Refinement and implementation of tools, documents-base and grammars.
Now, I like to end this present with conclusion and future works.
I introduced a concept of visualization and we established an educational environment based on this concept.
Hichart diagram and Hiform form are key object of the environment.
We are working to refine and implement tools and program document-base especially from the theoretical points of view.
Thank you very mauch.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000

20. Application areas of the system
IFIP16/ICEUT2000
Application areas of the system
Literacy
Programming language (lecture)
Programming exercise
Algorithm:lecture and exercise
Advanced programming
We are using this environment in classes of literacy, lecture and exercise of programming and algorithm, advanced programming and so on.
More than 7000 students have used the system in the last 10 years at the authors universities.
IFIP-16/ICEUT2000