Visual Tools and Examples to Support Active E-Learning and Motivation with Performance Evaluation

Abstract

Among the keystones of interactive education are learners’ motivation and visual tools that support learners’ study at their convenient. In this paper we consider the finite state machines (automata) as an example of an interactive e-learning. Because of its abstract nature, automata seem to be less motivating to study despite its importance as a model of several software and hardware applications. This paper tackles the motivation problem and the design of supporting visual tools. We have three goals: motivating learners through several visual examples, introducing interactive visual tools to support interactive e-learning, and to evaluate the performance of several existing tools to Figure out which is practically more useful. To achieve these goals, a set of visual finite state machines examples was designed, an interactive automata simulator is introduced, and a performance evaluation is carried out. The visual examples and the tools are designed as Java applets, using Java 2D interface, so that they can run on any environment. It also enables the learner to easily access the tools through the web which is a support for interactive e-learning of finite state machines.