Shoichi Nakamura

A Real-time Monitoring System for Programming Education using a Generator of Program Animation Systems

We have developed a meta-system that generates program animation systems. The generated animation systems visually display changes in program actions and help students (novice programmers) understand them. The animation systems also accumulate historical records of the students’ operations as they execute a program step by step while trying to understand it. By analyzing accumulated records, the meta-system pinpoints common areas of dif- ficulty and their causes for the lecturer. To develop this meta-system, we first analyzed the relation between difficult to understand parts and records of which control operations students applied when using the program animation system. For this analysis, we developed a function enabling the program animation system to record each student’s history of operations. Next, we devised a technique to predict which parts of a program would be difficult for students to understand. Finally, we developed a generator of program animation systems based on this technique. Consequently, this meta- system enables lecturers to monitor the classroom learning of students in real-time and provide support to groups of students experiencing common difficulties.

A system framework for bookmark sharing considering differences in retrieval purposes

Bookmarking is a popular way to manage retrieval results when searching through web documents, and sharing bookmarks among users can increase information retrieval efficiency. However, a crude sharing style that makes no distinction between retrieval purposes will hinder effective bookmark sharing and any information retrieval based on it. To prevent this problem, we have developed a support system for bookmark sharing which considers differences in search purposes and user groups. We also provide a method for visualizing the relationships among bookmarks.

A visualization method of relations among knowledge-information for research activities

In research activities, it is quite important task to classify and arrange knowledge-information, which consists of research papers, presentation materials of the seminars, memorandums of idea, advice from colleagues, and so on. However, it is extremely difficult to manage knowledge-information systematically and to grasp the process of research. Therefore, this paper proposes the visualization method of relations among knowledge-information. At first, classification of knowledge-information and relations among them are performed. After that, details of method, which represents knowledge-information and relations among them as nodes and edges of a graph respectively, are described. Moreover, design and implementation of the support system is described. Finally, an experiment with the support system and evaluation based on the results of it are reported.

A visualization system for organizing and sharing research information

A trade-off exists between the management of research information based on personal viewpoints and the sharing of it on a large scale. To resolve this, we have developed methods for managing research information. First, we propose use of a transition graph to visually express research information and the relationships among the information. Second, we describe a method that enables knowledge sharing on a large scale by converting research information expressed with a transition graph into a common view with specified constraints on their redrawing. Third, we discuss a research support system that applies the proposed methods.

A learning environment for understanding of program division patterns

This paper describes a learning environment that provides program division patterns for programming education. Receiving source codes drawn by learners, this environment analyzes data flow and detects the information on active variables based on lexical, syntax, and semantic analyses. Then, this environment generates and evaluates module division patterns and finally shows visually to a learner module division patterns, active variables and their active scopes.

A Visual Bookmark Sharing System Considering Retrieval Scenes and Its Evaluations

Bookmark sharing can increase the efficiencies of information retrieval and cooperative intelligent activities based on it. However, a crude sharing style that makes no distinction between retrieval purposes will hinder effective bookmark sharing and any information retrieval based on it. To prevent this problem, we have developed a support system for bookmark sharing which considers differences in search purposes and user groups. We also provide a method for visualizing the relationships among bookmarks. This paper mainly describes the system execution examples and experiments using prototype.

A Program Animation System for Real-time Monitoring of Learning

We have developed a system that allows teachers to monitor the classroom learning of students (novice programmers) in real time and provide support to groups of students experiencing common problems. This system has a program animation function which keeps a historical record of the students operations as they go through a program while trying to understand it. By analyzing this record, the system pinpoints common problem areas, and the causes of difficulty, for the teacher

A Real-time Monitoring System for Programming Education using Program Animation Systems and Compile-Errors Records

We have developed a system that informs lecturers regarding real-time learning situations in the classroom and helps them provide support for students (novice programmers) experiencing common problems. This system has two functions. The first is a program animation function which keeps a historical record of the students operations, and analyses this record to provide the information about difficulty of program actions to lecturers. The second is a compile-error support function which keeps a historical record of the students errors, and then analyses this record and informs the lecturer about the correspondence between compile-error causes and particular lines of source code. This system should provide lecturers with full support and real-time solutions to common problems faced by students

A Support Method for Programming Education Based on Analysis of Each Learner’s Mental States

This paper describes a support method for programming education in self-learning style and its implementation. It is difficult and important for learners to keep their motivation. In this research, methods for catching the learning data, which cope with four learning steps; reading text, check test, coding and compile, are developed. Psychological agent, which analyzes the learning data and grasps each learner’s state based on ARCS model, is also developed. According to the diagnosis by psychological agent, interface agent gives advice and hints to the learner in visual and auditory way. Implementation of prototype system, an experiment with the prototype and its results are reported. Finally, the efficiency of proposed method and further problems are discussed.