DOI: 10.5176/2251-2195_CSEIT14.18
Authors: Stephen B. Rainwater and Vijai Shankar Natarajan
Abstract: This project studied the instructional effectiveness of using animations to teach eight learning objectives in an undergraduate algorithms course. The animations were created using Adobe Edge Animate CC and were employed as primary pedagogical tools during classroom instruction. Furthermore, a website for each animation was constructed to allow student accessibility to the animations outside the classroom. Statistical analysis using paired t-tests indicated that inclusion of animations in an undergraduate algorithms course yielded significant overall student achievement gains as measured by pre-test and post-test scores. The inclusion of animations was also determined to be effective for seven of the eight learning objectives when considered individually. A slight negative correlation was noted between overall gains from pretest to posttest scores and the number of times an animation was viewed outside of the classroom for each learning unit.
Keywords: algorithms; recursion; animation; pedagogy
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