SMart-Learning: State Machine Simulators for Developing Thinking Skills

This paper presents SMart-Learning, which is a set of state machine simulators for developing thinking skills. SMart-Learning handles a variant state machine diagram notation based on UML. The learners of the diagram require various thinking skills such as requirements analysis, concept formation including abstraction for a domain, and modeling conforming to the semantics. Evaluation of their diagrams is crucial in such learning but should not place an unnecessary burden on the learners when they use tools supporting the evaluation. However, usability aspects other than effectiveness of such tools has not received much attention. SMart-Learning provides three simulators to improve learners' skills step by step. Through an evaluation in which five learners use SMart-Learning, the effectiveness, especially usability, is discussed.