Integrated Standard Environment for the Teaching and Learning of Operating Systems Algorithms Using Visualizations

Algorithm visualization is a technique used to help in the teaching and learning of algorithms in computer science. Despite the potential benefits of this technique, it has not been adopted by educators as expected due to the difficulties of integrating the algorithm visualizations into the learning environment and the lack of interactivity features. A course on operating systems constitutes one of the main courses in any undergraduate computer science program. Operating systems algorithms have not received enough support by the available algorithm visualization systems. Also, most of the available visualization systems developed to help in the teaching and learning of operating systems algorithms are standalone applications that do not provide important interactive features, such as the self-assessment of students´ knowledge. This paper presents a work in progress to design an interactive algorithm visualization system that can help to teach and learn operating systems algorithms. This system also provides self-assessment exercises to allow student to simulate how algorithms work and receive instant feedback from the system. This work adopts a new method to integrate algorithm visualizations into Learning Management Systems based on an e-learning standard called, the Sharable Content Object Reference Model(SCORM), which provides a set of specifications to design, package and distribute the learning content and standardize the communication between the learning content and the underlying Learning Management System. By using this standard, learning content can be integrated and reused by different Learning Management Systems.