As a report of a working group at ITiCSE 2006, this paper provides a vision of how visualizations and the software that generates them may be integrated into hypertextbooks and course management systems. This integration generates a unique synergy that we call a Visualization-based Computer Science Hypertextbook (VizCoSH). By borrowing features of both traditional hypertextbooks and course management systems, VizCoSHs become delivery platforms that address some of the reasons why visualizations have failed to find widespread use in education.The heart of the paper describes these features and explains, from both a student and teacher perspective, how each feature adds educational value to a visualization. In some cases, this value focuses on pedagogical issues, taking advantage of known strategies for making visualizations more engaging and effective. In other cases, the emphasis is on making it easier for teachers to use visualizations. A set of possible use scenarios and approaches for increasing interest in adopting a VizCoSH are also presented.

J?rgen B?rstler, Mark S. Hall, Marie Nordstr?m, James H. Paterson, Kate Sanders, Carsten Schulte, and Lynda Thomas. 2010. An evaluation of object oriented example programs in introductory programming textbooks. SIGCSE Bull. 41, 4 (January 2010), 126-143.Research shows that examples play an important role for cognitive skill acquisition. Students as well as teachers rank examples as important resources for learning to program. Therefore examples must be consistent with the principles and rules of the topics we are teaching. However, educators often struggle to find or develop objectoriented example programs of high quality. Common examples are often perceived as not fully faithful to all principles and guidelines of the object-oriented paradigm, or as not following general pedagogical principles and practices. Unless students are able to engage with good examples, they will not be able to tell desirable from undesirable properties in their own and others' programs. In this paper we report on a study in which experienced educators reviewed a wide range of object-oriented examples for novices from popular textbooks. This review was accomplished using an on-line checklist that elicited responses on 10 quality factors. Results show that the evaluation instrument provides a sufficiently consistent set of responses to distinguish examples. The paper then goes on to examine some of the characteristics of good and bad examples and how this study will influence the evolution of the evaluating instrument.Peer reviewe

Computer science educators spend a lot of effort designing programming assignments, and many are willing to share the results of this investment. However, sharing of programming assignments occurs primarily in an ad hoc manner through informal channels. There are no widely used mechanisms that support instructors in finding and sharing such resources. Often, the additional work required to prepare and self-publish assignment resources in a way that others can then adapt or reuse is a significant inhibitor. Also, other instructors may have to spend an inordinate amount of time and effort to reshape a potential assignment into something that can be used in their own courses. This working group report proposes a common format for packaging assignments for sharing. This format is easy for instructors to create (requiring no specialized tools), is extensible and flexible enough to handle assignments written for any programming language at any level of proficiency, supports appropriate metadata, and is easily manipulated by software tools. As more and more instructors use automated grading tools to process student submissions, it is our hope that such an interchange format can lead to a community practice of sharing resources in a way that overcomes existing barriers to such reuse.

The Java Wiki Integrated Development Environment (JavaWIDE) is an innovative environment that promotes active learning and collaboration in programming courses. This paper surveys how JavaWIDE's features have been used to promote active and collaborative learning in both traditional and distance education (synchronous) in four different environments: high school, summer enrichment courses, and at two-and four-year colleges. The authors describe the context of each teaching and learning environment and the parts of JavaWIDE that are particularly well suited in each context. After discussing the active learning and collaboration techniques employed, student responses to the experience are summarized. This collection of case studies illustrates how the concurrent editing, shared environment awareness and other features of JavaWIDE can be used to promote active learning and collaboration within a heterogeneous set of teaching and learning environments.

As a report of a working group at ITiCSE 2006, this paper provides a vision of how visualizations and the software that generates them may be integrated into hypertextbooks and course management systems. This integration generates a unique synergy that we call a Visualization-based Computer Science Hypertextbook (VizCoSH). By borrowing features of both traditional hypertextbooks and course management systems, VizCoSHs become delivery platforms that address some of the reasons why visualizations have failed to find widespread use in education.The heart of the paper describes these features and explains, from both a student and teacher perspective, how each feature adds educational value to a visualization. In some cases, this value focuses on pedagogical issues, taking advantage of known strategies for making visualizations more engaging and effective. In other cases, the emphasis is on making it easier for teachers to use visualizations. A set of possible use scenarios and approaches for increasing interest in adopting a VizCoSH are also presented.