A Framework and Toolset for the Development of Software Teaching Tools

1
A Framework and Toolset for the Development of
Software Teaching Tools

• Richard Cooper
• Computing Science
• University of Glasgow

2
Motivation

• Active learning through interaction with software
  facilitates learning
• observing how mappings from design to
  implementation work
• e.g. ER -gt tables
• working with low level software
• e.g. programming relational algebra
• stepping through software to observe its effects
• e.g. through a SAX program
• observing and querying diagrammatic
  representations of processes
• e.g. HTTP and dynamic web site structure

3
Examples

• Teaching Relational Database System
• ER, Normalisation, Relational Algebra, etc.
• Teaching Web Database System
• Component diagram, browser, feedback panel
• XML programming
• Showing how DOM, SAX and XSLT produce output
• JDBC programming
• Web Services

4
TRDB
5
TWDB
6
XML Programming
7
JDBC Programming
8
Common Elements

• Interactive Text Panels
• Interactive Diagrams
• Staged Execution
• Correspondences
• Feedback Panel
• Hyperlinked Glossaries

9
A Structure for Java Interfaces I

• Fragment
• a component of a document which has a distinctive
  existence
• can be highlighted, added, removed, etc.
• iconic and textual fragments
• Document
• a structured set of fragments
• Parser
• generates a document from input according to a
  syntax
• static i.e. generates document from complete
  file
• dynamic i.e. responds to user edits

10
A Structure for Java Interfaces II

• Correspondence
• connection between two fragments denoting
  equivalence
• Action
• description of a change to a document or the
  framework
• can be used in a menu/toolbar or in a staged
  execution
• Staged Execution
• series of actions controlled by progress buttons

11
A Structure for Java Interfaces III

• Style
• to manage the look of documents
• Panels and Frames
• a location in which a document appears
• Framework
• a collection of panels, frames, menus and toolbars

12
Methodology

• 1. Set up a framework
• 2. Map panels to document type
• 3. Develop and install parsers
• 4. Identify correspondences
• 5. Create a set of actions and tie them to menus,
  toolbars, fragment interaction
• 6. Set up staged executions

13
Example
14
Steps

• Set up the framework of four panels
• Create document classes for ER and SQL
• Set up an interactive ER diagram parser
• Set up correspondence control between the SQL and
  ER fragments
• Set up menus
• One of these calls the staged execution of the
  mapping process

15
Conclusions

• Active learning interactive software uses a small
  number of techniques
• A set of software abstractions can be identified
  to allow these techniques to be programmed more
  easily
• The result will be a coherently structured
  collection of applications more easily modified
  and extended