To Improve Signal Processing Concept Demonstration Software, Consider the Interactive Experience

Interactive software demonstrations and computer-based exercises are often applied in signal processing education to examine concepts such as complex numbers, signal representation, sampling theory, and digital filter specification. While engineering software development environments such as National Instruments LabVIEW simplify the creation of such software, it's clear that some do a better job of improving understanding, motivating learners, and connecting theory with practical concerns. This paper explores how design choices that consider the interactive experience of the learner can have a clear role in determining the success for a demo in meeting these goals. We examine several demonstrations created by the authors, considering the development process and looking at some of the design and implementation choices intended to enhance learning.