Submitted by X. Hua Du:
1. HyperCard seems very powerful in terms of generating electronic books because of its capability of handling hypermedia information. However, it does not sound like sufficient for animation. Is it possible to combine HyperCard with other well-known animation packages so that we can take advantage of both ?
2. It is reasonable to pay attention to the different requests from users of different expertise when implementing a SV system. Yet, it also makes the problem more complicated due to too many human factors involved. How can we balance the complexity and efficiency of the system ?
Submitted by May Cheng:
1. For a SV that is designed for the best of both novices and experts, is it really ideal for first-time learners (if the main purpose is for education)?
2. Little doubt that proper animation would help in understanding algorithms. Why don't we see more of systems such as Animated Algorithms being used at universities? Perhaps because of the need to tailor to different programming languages being taught?
Submitted by Yongzhi Kan:
1. One of the issues in this chapter is whether software visualization can be used to support the transition between novice and expert. The representations used in the SV are found quite important by affecting how effective users can absorb and digest the explicit and implicit information provided. Can the careful design of the representations achieve this transition? What will be the major concerns? Is any good example available?
2. Up to now, most of the algorithm animations seen in the class seem to assume that viewers have certain pre-knowledge before they sit down and watch them. Will this be an effective way for most people? Or should it include some kind of pre-education section such as in multimedia form?
Submitted by Rodney Walker:
1. Why don't other educational areas besides computer science get involved in viz? And why does CS seem to focus mainly on algorithm animation?
2. How can we apply viz techniques to other disciplines? And can we do it in such a way as to allow people in those disciplines to implement and create new viz's with a minimum of effort?
Submitted by Jim Seymour:
1. The discussion of implicit vs explicit on page 405 is a bit abstract. Are there some tangible examples of implicit/explicit information and how specifically does the novice have trouble with?
2. The Animated Algorithms system in ch 27 could allow students to "play" rather than learn. Are there techniques to help discourage playing with the cool animation creation tools or is play considered part of the learning experience?
Submitted by Will Dover:
1. Mulholland and Eisenstadt state that no visualization will be universally superior for all users and tasks. Is it not possible that a visualization could be eventually created that would allow for adjustment to user skills dynamically?
2. Because Animated Algorithms (in chapter 27) used Hypercard as its platform, it allowed hypertext. Yet, most of the visualization we have encountered rarely used hypermedia in any form. Does the use of hypermedia affect how we design, implement, and use a visualization?
Submitted by Ashly Taylor:
1. Why do Mulholland and Eisenstadt think that Theseus is more suitable for novices than TPM? Why do they think that a single SV cannot serve both novices and experts? Could a single SV with basic views and options for experts to use additional views (i.e. scalable complexity) work for both?
2. How could SV be used to help the transformation of novices to experts?
Submitted by Heather Richter:
1. These examples in teaching with software visualization all focus on either algorithms animation or program coding. Why has no one focused on all the other aspects of softwre -- i.e. requirements, design, maintenance, etc?
2. Would using the Animated Algorithms program have helped in our undergraduate classes? Is it worth the time and effort for how much it might have helped us?
Submitted by Sean Molley:
1. Almost every visualization that we have seen has been in the computer science education domain -- specifically algorithm animation. What work is being done for visualization in other areas? Have studies been done of the effectiveness of SV for education in other (non-CS) domains?
2. Much is made of the difference between novices and experts and the difficulty (impossibility?) of designing a viz that will be effective for both. The constructionist theory of learning (Pappert) suggests that students learn by creating things. Do assignments in which students build their own visualizations (using a framework such as POLKA) aid in that transition from novice to expert?