Animations and Simulations: Learning and Practice of Algorithmic (WiMoA 2011 and ICCSEA 2011)

Abstract

We try to show in this paper that animations and simulations are often presented as how learning tools, even though all the animations are not really able to fulfill this role. We define what a graphic animation and simulation to show that, in education systems, they should only be used if they have something to do with: the material to learn the process of learning and / or characteristics of the learner, thus leaving aside the animations used solely for marketing purposes. We then present and discuss a simple but pedagogically relevant simulation included a help system to learn and practice algorithms. Finally, we propose a guideline establishing general relationships between types of learning activities, types of knowledge implemented and the types of animations and simulations.

Keywords: multimedia system, motion graphics, graphical simulation, interaction, teaching purposes (for animation), the purpose of learning, learning activity.

Introduction

To increase the ability to visualize, teachers have worn images in the topics first, transparencies and slides are then came, in black and white and color. To move these images, we had the topics "animated",we had the magic lantern, and then film and video, computer animation has finally brought a new dimension to the hidden and was referred to our imagination.

Since then, educational systems have evolved dramatically in recent years [8]. The rise of multimedia technology and hypermedia has made such systems more attractive.


But that said information does not necessarily tell if the education and hypermedia are tools for information they are not in themselves educational tools, but may be suitable as learning systems. Alongside this structure flexible access to information, one should add the possibility to take notes, save a result, access to simulation programs, to insert new data .. AND SHOULD ALWAYS SUPERVISOR (automatic or not) to prevent the inexperience, to avoid getting lost in the jungle of information. For this is the risk of hypermedia, freedom of the learner has a setback, it may get lost in hyperspace or show no intellectual curiosity. The hypermedia must be accompanied by navigational aids (indexes, history) and the teacher’s instructions, and knowledge of auditors.

These techniques have become so broad usage across the Internet and in particular the web. A notable application of such techniques is the use of simulations and animated graphics, widely used before and during a long period of time regardless of the Internet. Except the Internet, their efficiency is even bigger, for example, the realistic animations are present particularly in the video games on computer who(which), even if they are available on Internet are executed more often from a CD-ROM, or even from a local hard disk, rather than directly from Internet.. In addition to games, another major use of animation is represented by the educational systems where they have an impact more broadly.

In what follows, we will try to examine the roles and effects of graphic animation and simulations on educational systems.

The first point is a reminder of what the animations and simulations. The second point presents several general aspects of the uses of animation in the educational system by giving appropriate examples. The third point, gives a more detailed example of animation in a single system built to acquire programming skills. The last and fourth point established some guidelines linking various types of animation through various types of educational objectives.

What the Animations and the Simulations

Though often associated with the filmmaking example, the animation is a branch of computer graphics [9]. However, anything that is not always animated graphic (in fact, some use only ASCII text) and Everything is not as graphic animation. To do this we will focus this article on graphic animations. The animations are exactly the graphic displays that show that something is changing in time. It depends on the particular case, that something might appear or disappear, move or change (eg, shape-shifting and / or changing color etc..). The graphic can be a drawing, cartoon or picture, when animated, the latter gives rise respectively to cartoons, comics, cartoons and video movies (eg, videotape).

Regarding the simulations, we first excluded discipline simulation [18] which is based on mathematics rather than graphics (although the simulation program often include animated simulations for marketing reasons) to take an interest in graphic simulations. These are of two types:

• Static simulation: it displays the (real images or computer generated), so it is not entertainment (nothing changes over time), their interest is the quality of interpretation of the effect (the surface texture, landscapes).

• Dynamic simulations: this is entertainment.

These two categories are the simulation is to share their content and their interactive nature. They show a certain property, real or not the displayed scene: a body, an event, phenomenon, etc.. As to their nature, they allow the user to respond to the scene displayed by varying its speed or pausing if it is animated, focusing on a particular area (by zooming, etc..) Or even influencing the outcome of the animation itself (this is the case with some games based on the simulation).

The two categories of simulation are used in educational systems, the scene displayed and demonstrated properties are then connected directly to the relevant issue. This article does not deal with static simulations that are simply related to good images. From a technical point of view, animations and simulations can be prepared either in advance or created on demand. The first approach requires a large memory capacity. The second approach requires a fast processor and large memory. The animation can combine both approaches.

The Animations in the Educationnel System

The animations are very popular, because of their charm, in particular in the games(sets) spectacular and movies. But what do they bring to the educationnels systems? Do they improve them? If it is the case in which domain? To be more educationnellement relevant, they should not be as the brought to light "free" word or the other more biased words, written at the top of certain advertising hoardings. The proof: you certainly read such an advertising(publicity) but you have never called the person who sent him(it) to you.?

We are now going to examine the relations of the animations with the concerned subject, with the process of learning(apprenticeship), with the interests of the learner and finally with the marketing.

The Animations with the Concerned Subject

In the implementation educationnelle, the first purpose of any object presented to the learning is that he(it) should be descriptive of the contents to learn ( a course(price)). It is him(her,it) certainly for the livened up(led) scenes(stages). Many examples of such animations can be found:

• in physical appearance(physics) (in kinematics and in dynamics),

• in engineering (the functioning of an engine in 4 time( weather),

• the creation or the absorption of a photon, in astronomy (the movements of planets and stars),

• In molecular biology (the human genome), in certain domains of the computing (the sorting of the algorithms) [12].

This is also true for static animations are very useful in some descriptive natural sciences (botany, zoology), physical sciences (mechanical stresses in static physics or materials science). Such animations or simulations are certainly appropriate (if not the most appropriate) way because they help set the learner understand the subject, the process or the law presented to him. However, to respond more effectively to this goal, such an animation or simulation should focus on what must be learned and nothing else. If it is too realistic, it can distract the learner’s real subject concerned. Take for example the presentation of operating a four-stroke engine to a learner in mechanics: a pencil drawing or a cartoon can be effective. Now, presenting the same thing, a film showing a real engine in a real car accident can focus the attention of the learner on an inappropriate place (eg. A brightly colored label placed by inattention to a place in motion) . A similar situation can occur when driving a car. As driver attention may be drawn the night by a set of flashing lights. If these lights indicate a dangerous place, in this case they warn me of danger and so much the better. Otherwise, they advise me a restaurant or something not that interesting, you may feel frustrated at having to focus unnecessarily on something that does not concern our conduct. So too much realism in the animation may cause the learner to make mistakes.

The Animations and Learning Processes

Even when there is a relationship with the subject concerned, good educational animation would actually increase or at least facilitate learning. It would certainly do if it makes content easier to understand as in the above examples that depict the phenomenon itself, or the law that the learner is supposed to understand. Other activities could simply illustrate the subject in question without being too critical to the learning process, why should they make the content palatable to facilitate its ingestion. While understanding a concept, as a phenomenon that works is important, the process of understanding involves two other aspects: motivation for learning and memorization of what about to be learned. And animation software also help facilitate the process, although not as effectively as if they facilitate understanding. Finally we can say that the experiment that may be involved in three aspects: the understanding, motivation and memory, is mainly active in the simulation graphs.

So, when we estimate the contribution of an existing or proposed animation or a simulation to the process of learning (apprenticeship), we should examine how she(it) addresses the understanding, the motivation, the memorization and the experiment. However we should also consider the time(weather) which crosses(spends) the learner to learn the environment of simulation against what allows the learner to learn that is its functional capacities.

The Animations that Benefit the Learner

The learning process described in general terms above involves at least two entities: the matter concerned and the learner. Thus, in addition to the content discussed in 2.1. It may be that a movie tries to connect to the learner: its psychology, its experiences, interests, etc.. This is especially true when the "knowledge" to learn involves the learner himself, who must then learn how to be (or learn how to learn what to do). Such situations are like: driving a car or piloting an aircraft, management of resources, socio-political behavior, or the integration of persons with special need in their social environment. An example of the latter situation is the Brazilian project AVIRC, an integrated virtual reality environment for cognitive rehabilitation where the learner is a person with brain injury or neuropsychiatric disorder [13]. Another example [14] deals with a multimedia interface where the modalities of the task of understanding executed are adapted to the characteristics of the learner, a child with intellectual disabilities and cognitive. A more recent example is the automatic generation of scenarios for learning in a virtual environment healthy, currently used for students in politics, but usable in other areas.

In these types of learning situations, simulations and animations are very realistic appropriate because the learner may be linked to process reality. Indeed, when we learn how to be, to explain important details may not be consistent so as visible as when studying a law in physics, for example. Such realistic software could then be appropriate substitutes for real life scenarios. The virtual reality environment can sometimes even be the best and the only way to learn, not only cost savings but also because other people are involved. These are the cases of simulators flights especially when they are developed for aircraft not yet built, surgery for virtual medical students or environment for learners with special needs.

However, according to our opinion, the entertainment focused on the special interests of individuals are more difficult to assess objectively than before. Indeed, a person (here the learner) is much more complex than the individual or even the learning process, which have been studied more extensively. The evaluation questions to ask would be in the following directions:

• What is the relationship between animation software simulation and learning have been established?

• Is a particular type of learning is targeted?

• If so has there been shaped?

• How does the animation or simulation is it relevant to the learner model? 3.4 The Animations and the Marketing

Really a fine line can separate the truly useful educational animations and simulations of those whose main virtue is their attraction (marketing). Indeed, many software praise their animations "breathtaking" and the modern techniques of interpretation are quite fabulous [14]. A learner can indeed a lot of fun experimenting with animation especially attractive but it does not learn how to better or more effective because of this type of animation, while the animation should nevertheless be questioned.

Animations and simulations in an educational system

Fig. 1. Animations and simulations in an educational system

Also, assessing animation software, we should adequately assess those which are intensions and those who are the primary effects of the animation. It often seems simply cause a surprise. You do not criticize sparkling animations such as to suggest or evaluate, you may be asking you if and how they are connected too concerned about, the general process of learning and learner focused.

Conclusion

In a educationnel context, an animation should be connected(bound) in a primary way with the concerned subject, with the process of learning(apprenticeship) or with the learner (Fig. 1). The interpretation(performance) of the effects such as the realism, the speed, or the reaction are only secondary if they do not strengthen these primary relations. David Merill [ 10 ] quoted: " evaluations based mainly on the value of production and appearance inform you very moderately about the instructionnelle quality of a product " it is of in particular in the animations and the simulations.

Naturally, the present discussion and in particular Fig. 1 treats(handles) animations supposing that the learner is alone with the educationnel system, that is independently of the environment in which he is placed. If, for example, a teacher is present and can refocus the attention of the learner on the relevant points (the purposes of learning(apprenticeship)), the inconvenience or the inadequacy of an otherwise inappropriate animation can be decreased or even eliminated.

The Animations in the Simulation Software Algorithmics

The system algorithmic [8] was conceived for the students in elementary class of programming. The main objective of the guardian is to help the student to learn and to use in a adequate way structures of basic commands(orders) (YEW THEN, YEW THEN ELSE, WHILE DOH) and appeal procedures. For that purpose, the algorithmics uses a macro called world " Karel the Robot " [16], in whom(which) the student has to schedule(program) a robot to make him(her) realize various spots requiring(demanding) the use of structures of learnt commands(orders). What allows to understand(include) how the power of the machine and the brain of the programmer (or of the user) can cooperate. The macro world, as major advantage requires(demands) no structure of data, so allowing to separate two levels of difficulty: the structures of data and the structures of command(order) felt by the beginners in programming. The algorithmics supplies to the learner three interactive components :

• a structure editor for code entry,

• a graphical editor of situation

• a graphic simulator for executing and tracing a program.

To help the learner to solve his problem, it also includes an intelligent tutoring system that can be defined as a software expert in teaching and pedagogy expert and could play the role of tutor dialogue with a learner, especially about of solving a problem. The educational objective of the intelligent tutoring system is defined as an educational system whose main objective and to transmit knowledge but also expertise. More clearly is an active system, which can guide the interaction, to judge the actions of the learner and offer explanations to the errors detected are not repeated. This principle is based on three features of interest to education: the problems of the learner and the problem of the learner by explaining the solutions found and managing a teaching session, taking into account the learner and context.

Issues available are categorized according to their supposed difficulty: decision structures, iterative structure or control structure. When you start a session, the learner may choose a category and its first problem in this category, after he is guided in its work on more difficult problems. Alternatively, it may discontinue use of guardians and combine its own problem on which he worked. In this case, since the system does not "know" anything with regard to the task, the learner is left alone (without a guardian). Assuming that the student decides to work on the problem of the category of "all control structures, the problem of super obstacle course [8], he presents the following description of a task: [Karel must run an obstacle course. The hedges have a variable height and zero width. The end of the race is marked by a beeper [8]. Karel started his first race in facing the east at the end of the race, he also faces east and is supposed to have picked up the beeper ending the race].

With a display like that shown in Fig.2. showing a program window where he can work on his program by using the structure editor and an example of the initial situation. If the student is not happy with the proposed situation, it can be changed using the graphical situation editor, which allows him to place the robot at the intersection with the desired direction and desired to place or Beepers and move the wall sections around as they wish.

The simulator implementation, which can be activated using the run menu (Fig. 2.) involves much animation. It is used to visualize the situation enables the execution of the active window of the program again, the current instruction execution is simultaneously recorded in the program text.

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So, at any time, the relationship between the active statement of the program and the result of his performance is visible. In addition, at any time during the performance, the student can change the execution mode (fast speed, slow speed, or step), or it may activate commands or pause execution canceled. (Fig. 2).

Execution

Execute

Fast speed Slow speed By step

Pause

Cancelled execution

Fig. 2. Algorithm execution menu

All these measures help learners to monitor the implementation of the program. In addition, slowing or even stopping the execution at any point in the program for lack of clarity on the part of the learner, it can collect some information possibly modified. The local situation (the position of Karel and orientation, Beepers and wall sections), to better understand how a program actually works and thus correct any mistakes. The capabilities of the simulator implementation are particularly useful for problems invented by the learner or the teacher, where the help of the guardian is not available.

The simulator of execution seems to be a simple and interesting alternative in the most complex tools by using for example a more realistic robot. Indeed, the software algorithmics is simple to learn and to master because only what is important is posted(shown) and is included in the commands(orders) available on the learner.

These simple commands allow him to concentrate on the conception and the development of the algorithm (rather than manipulating tools or more sophisticated displays).

Example 1: an example of a simulator of execution "continues"

Example 1: an example of a simulator of execution "continues"

The execution of the instructions of the program is made by set. The execution of these sets and the display of the corresponding results are made without the intervention of the learner.

This is intended in particular for the learners who have a minimum of knowledge in programming.

Example 2: An example of a simulator for execution of the loop "Repeat

Example 2: An example of a simulator for execution of the loop "Repeat

The field is initialized by the limit border at the time of the execution of the first iteration and will be incremented in every new iteration. He can be even incremented in case of return in the previous instructions. Furthermore, we have a field to introduce the step of the buckle which is stable during the simulation.

Which Animations and Simulations for Which Objectives

From what has been said and the examples given in previous sections, several general rules or guidelines that can be drawn. In the table of Fig. 3. We try to highlight the roles played by the animations and simulations in various learning situations.

• On the horizontal axis at a spot of learning identified by the type of knowledge to acquire, we associate the type of the animation typically more appropriate for this task of learning. We document the association with educational animation capabilities useful for this task, and with examples of typical fields. Please note that the animations can not operate at the level of the spot, which is much lower than the goal of learning the most general of the learner.

• On the vertical axis, our table shows a progression of learning the lowest level to those of the highest levels and a parallel increase in the animations or simulations from simple to sophisticated. Naturally the second increase is justified by the fact that the spots to run, and domains from which they are based are increasingly complex, so they need to be displayed with more realism.

Naturally, the animations or even the simulations are never self-important in themselves: they can be only a part of the learningand a part of the education(teaching).

Towards the learning, they are inevitably connected with the specific spots to be executed, the spots which can be taken away from the purposes has learnings connected with more general domains; the activities based on the animation need to be completed by more activities directed to the learning.

Example: the resolution of problems.

Towards the education(teaching), even with activities based on the animation, the capacities of animation need to be completed by the other capacities of the guardian of the system or of the teacher. For it we have to supply detail either with explanations of the subject or the phenomenon or the next behavior. We also have to answer diverse types(chaps) of questions resulting from the learner (on whom he(it) becomes harder and harder to answer in a appropriate way when the type( of knowledge: of the which to know in how to know etc.)

Learning goal (task)

Type of knowledge

Animation type

Useful educational capacity

Examples of domains

Knowledge of the concerned subject

Knows what he is

Static simulation

or

representation

Accent on the

distinctive characteristics

Domains of classification (botany, zoology etc.)

Understand a phenomenon or a law

To know how he works

Comic strip or cartoon

Command of speed, effects of zooming

Theoretical

domains (geometry, physical, mechanical)

Execute a procedure

Know how to

make

Realistic animation, simulation of

drawing or

image

Show the procedure being executed, effect of modification of parameters, playback.

Domain of capacity practises(has a practice) (driving(behavior ), construction, resolution of problems.)

Treat an implying situation the others

Know how to be (capacity and behavior)

Realistic

simulation virtual reality

Dumping in the situation to be mastered

Human domains (human resources

management, politics(policies), medical domain, learners at special needs.)

Fig. 3. Relationships between educational goals and types of animation

Above all, the links must be made between the spots authorized by the animation or simulation and capabilities of the highest level that the student must eventually acquire. It may be noted in our table, the lack of animation properties such as the outbreak of motivation or attraction.

This is due to the fact that such properties can be applied to all types of animation and also because they can not be objectively measured (at best through questionnaires sensitivity), more and more important , is our strong belief that the motivation or attraction alone can not be a source for learning and can only be a way that can facilitate a learning process whose source is necessarily elsewhere.

Although realism does increase the attraction, we have shown in Section 3.1, a too realistic animation can distract the learner with learning problems can be difficult or even hide these problems.

(By focusing the attention of accidentally learning about some irrelevant aspects of the movie) because it does not focus on what needs to be learned. Similarly, despite their current popularity as a trend of research, we believe that, although biological agents have their advantages, they also have their limits, especially if it distracts the learner rather than focus on what needs be learned.

Conclusion

In this document, we tried to show that the animations or the simulations are not a characteristic which inevitably increases the educational value of a educational software. They can make it only if certain purpose of learning is them under neighboring, and if their type are suited to help the learner to answer this purpose. We hope that the presented orientations can help persons conceiving animations and simulations to build animations and more significant simulations and can help persons in charge of purchase or of evaluation of a educationnel software not to be impressed illegally by animations of charm in which the objective of learning is absent. It would certainly be more valid to conceive and to build a real instrument based on the computer, to estimate the educationnels merits of a given animation, by considering the contexts of learning, the materialsand the objectives as well as the specificities of the learner, but this attempt is except the reach of the position of this document.

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