A Little of that Human Touch in the Algorithm Visualization Construction Approach

Current approaches to algorithm visualization (AV) construction run the gamut from low-level programming to sketching on the Natural User Interface (NUI). While we witness a constant improvement in terms of ease of use and learning curve, existing methods still strike us as somewhat wanting in naturalness, if not downright restrictive. Based on observations of an on-going study, we argue that in addition to drawing any graphics, students should also be able to directly manipulate the sketched graphics and control their movement. Moreover, recording of students’ spoken explanation during the construction process should be supported by the AV system. By integrating hand movement and voice narration, two basic human affordances, into a new focus of the algorithm visualization construction approach, our work-in-progress aims to replicate the kind of low-tech, pen-and-paper AV construction experience and translates it into a computer-based AV system.