Increasing visualization and interaction in the automata theory course

ABSTRACT

In this paper we describe how to increase the visualization and interaction in the automata theory course through the use of the tools JFLAP and Pâté. We also describe new features in these tools that allow additional visualization and interaction. New features in JFLAP include the addition of regular expressions and exploring their conversion from and to nondeterministic finite automata (NFA), and increasing the interaction in the conversion of automata to grammars. New features in Pâté include the display of a parse tree while parsing unrestricted grammars, and improved interaction with parsing and the transformation of grammars.

REFERENCES

• 1: Badre, A., Lewis, C., and Stasko, J. Empirically evaluating the use of animations to teach algorithms. Proceedings of the I994 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages (1994), 48-54.
• 2: Susan H. Rodger , Anna O. Bilska , Kenneth H. Leider , Magdalena Procopiuc , Octavian Procopiuc , Jason R. Salemme , Edwin Tsang, A collection of tools for making automata theory and formal languages come alive, Proceedings of the twenty-eighth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, p.15-19, February 27-March 01, 1997, San Jose, California, United States
• 3: Eric Gramond , Susan H. Rodger, Using JFLAP to interact with theorems in automata theory, The proceedings of the thirtieth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education, p.336-340, March 24-28, 1999, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
• 4: Harry R. Lewis , Christos H. Papadimitriou , Christos Papadimitriou, Elements of the Theory of Computation, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1997
• 5: Peter Linz, An introduction to formal languages and automata (2nd ed.), D. C. Heath and Company, Lexington, MA, 1996

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.1 PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES

  F. Theory of Computation
  F.1 COMPUTATION BY ABSTRACT DEVICES

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Curriculum

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors, Languages, Management, Performance, Theory