Scripted Step-based Visualizations: A Pilot Study

Software visualization has numerous educational applications that focus on illustrating code, structure, behavior, and/or evolution of software. However, there are few available solutions that (1) illustrate arbitrary high-level concepts according to the scripts specified by the instructor and (2) can be easily integrated into various existing learning materials. To evaluate the feasibility of such a tool, we developed a proof-of-concept system that can be used as a part of many web-based course materials and that is supported by Acos content server. As a pilot study, we introduced the tool in an introductory web development course to visualize messaging between clients and servers. We analyzed the usage log data and student questionnaire data and the results were mostly positive, which prompts for further research on the subject.Peer reviewe