DocumentCode :
1855375
Title :
A tool for data structure visualization and user-defined algorithm animation
Author :
Chen, Tao ; Sobh, Tarek
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Comput. Sci. & Eng., Bridgeport Univ., CT, USA
Volume :
1
fYear :
2001
fDate :
2001
Abstract :
Data Structures and Algorithms is a fundamental course in Computer Science. However, many students find it difficult because it requires abstract thinking. It would be very helpful if there was a visualization tool of data structures such as arrays, queues, stacks, trees and graphs for students to manipulate. The tool would allow students to see how an element is inserted into or deleted from different data structures, how a tree is traversed in different order (preorder, in-order, post order, level-order), etc. Moreover, this tool would provide a simple language, by which students can write their own algorithms so that the execution of the algorithm is animated. This project is intended to create an exploration environment, in which students can learn through experimentation. This tool can be used as an effective supplement to the traditional classroom education and textbook for Data Structures and Algorithms courses. In this paper, a software application that features the visualization of commonly used data structures and their associated insertion and deletion operations is introduced. In addition, this software can be used to animate user-defined algorithms
Keywords :
computer animation; computer science education; data structures; data visualisation; educational courses; software packages; Computer Science course; Data Structures and Algorithms course; JavaMy; abstract thinking; arrays; data structure visualization; deletion operations; exploration environment; graphs; insertion operations; queues; software package; stacks; trees; user-defined algorithm animation; visualization tool; Animation; Application software; Computer science; Data structures; Data visualization; Java; Software algorithms; Software packages; Tree data structures; Tree graphs;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Frontiers in Education Conference, 2001. 31st Annual
Conference_Location :
Reno, NV
ISSN :
0190-5848
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-6669-7
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/FIE.2001.963845
Filename :
963845
Link To Document :
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