USING DYNAMIC EXPLANATIONS TO ENHANCE NOVICE PROGRAMMER INSTRUCTION VIA THE WWW

This paper describes how the World Wide Web (WWW)-delivered visual exp lanations of programming constructs have been developed and used to su pplement the conventional instructional methods and materials traditio nally employed in introductory programming courses. The explanations a re constructed using inexpensive commercial software that supports the use of animation, graphics, color, and narrative to help students Vis ualize a wide range of concepts and relationships. Initial student fee dback suggests WWW-delivered visual explanations appear to be an effec tive means of addressing the individual learning needs of novice progr ammers. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.