Title: Visualisation of algorithms

Authors: Ludek Kucera

Addresses: Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Department of Applied Mathematics, Charles University, Malostranske nam. 25, Prague 118 00, Czech Republic

Abstract: The present paper summarises the author|s experience in teaching algorithms in undergraduate courses for students of Informatics at Charles University. In the author|s view, the most efficient way of instruction is a classical lecture in a lecture hall that guarantees the quality of contact between a teacher and a student, that cannot be matched by any audiovisual channel; but with a teacher supported by a complex visualisation environment made to requirements of a particular algorithm, which not only animates the algorithm (forward and backward computation with or without interruptions), but also makes it possible to display the information necessary for understanding and analysing the algorithm (e.g., invariants of correctness, termination and complexity analysis, complexity related features etc.), implementation details and other important topics. Certain aspects of such visualisation environments are discussed.

Keywords: algorithms; teaching; algorithm visualisation; algorithm animation; e-teaching; e-learning; applets; computing education; programming languages; computer programming.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2005.007711

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2005 Vol.15 No.3/4/5/6, pp.212 - 224

Published online: 03 Sep 2005 *

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