Visualization of objects in software simulators - Multi-step solvers of SCORM 2004. 15 Scientific Visualization Volume 5, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 34-52

This article presents the results of multiyear research in the field of development and use of interactive multistep solver - software simulators for training undergraduate students in the field of Computer Science. The basis of such multi-step solvers is algorithmic learning, visualization of complex abstract objects and the establishment of semantic connections between the visual images and the properties of these objects as well as abstract mathematical description, multiplicity of ways to get a correct solution. Such visualization is relatively clear for beginning students. It accelerates the development of abstract and logical thinking and leads to the creation of numerous interpretations. The development of software simulators - visualizers was based on the methodology of SCORM 2004, which gives the opportunity to gather in one SCORM package a large number of diverse educational materials. Due to presence of file manifest a developer can planned trajectory of passing educational materials by students. Educational content in SCORM is a set of small educational objects, collected into the courses, chapters, modules, tasks etc. These content objects, consisting of smaller educational objects, are developed in such way that they can be used many times in different SCORM packages. Content objects can be two types: assets and sharable content object (SCO). The user can browse and study the assets only because assets dont interact with the learning management system LMS. Sharable content object (SCO) interacts with learning management system: reports about the progress and results of studying, receiving and transmitting additional data, etc. Interactivity of SCORM package is ensured by CSO implemented by Flash or Java-script. SCORM standard has worked well in Western universities and begins to be applied gradually on educational portals in Russian universities, such as MESI, MIREA, MIPT etc. A distinctive feature of the development in this area is that in MEPhI the learning process actively uses software simulators visualizers in SCORM 2004 made as interactive multistage solvers common tasks on a wide range of science disciplines. For several years software simulators were used to train the undergraduate students in the course "Discrete Mathematics" and "Computer Science" in NRNU MEPhI. In total, for the statistical analysis were collected the results of the mastering of educational material for the last six years, 1000 first-year students. The results show that the use of interactive multi-step solvers with visualization of images and object properties are highly beneficial effect on the level of learning. For «Computer Science, where interactive solvers-visualizers are used only in one section of the course, the level of mastering of educational material increases on the average by 30%. For «Discrete mathematics, where in the majority of sections solvers are used, the level of mastering the material of the secondary students increased in 4 times.
Indexed keywords
Multistage solvers; SCORM 2004 methodology; Software simulator; The effectiveness of learning; Visual mining