AnnAnn and AnnAnn.Net: Tools for Teaching Programming

It is difficult for a student to learn about programs and to understand the rational that went into the development of the parts that led to the whole. Tools for explaining this essentially dynamic process are limited and typically static in nature, making it difficult for students to understand how it was developed, or where to start. This paper presents AnnAnn.Net, an animated code annotator which makes it possible to present the incremental development of code to large groups or for self study. The tool is designed for ease of use by both lecturers and students. The implementation and the ration for which are described in detail. The design of the system is underpinned by a sound pedagogical approach and these are discussed, along with the educational benefits of this approach are examined.