PSSLSA: Participatory Simulation System for Learning Sorting Algorithms

During learning computer science theory, it is essential to learn sorting algorithms, but it is not easy to understand the concept of the different sorting algorithms. This paper describes a system called PSSLSA (PDA-based Participatory Simulation System for Learning Sorting Algorithms). This is an interactive simulation system to learn the sorting algorithms. Learners use it to deeply understand the sorting algorithms. Using this system, the teacher can assign tasks to his student and ask them to sort a list of numbers according to a certain algorithm. Learners receive these tasks, collaborate together and send the result to the server. The system will check it and feedback the student with the positions of the numbers if there is a mistake. The learners will correct the number positions and send it back to the server. Learners can understand the algorithm through the dissections and their errors.

1. Introduction

Nowadays, there are more and more supported learning researches about using mobile devices such as PDA [1], [2]. The participatory simulation is one of the kinds of these researches. The learner uses a mobile device to take part in a common participatory simulation. The types of activities are: participating in an active way, analyzing information, making decisions and seeing the outcome of their actions. In this paper, we demonstrate a participatory simulations environment system. Particularly, it allows the student to study the computer algorithm as an object. We provide them with a study-supporting system called PSSLSA. After explaining the concept of the sorting algorithms, the teacher asks the learners to use PSSLSA in order to enhance the understanding of the students and at the same time allow the teacher to measure the level of understanding of the student (see figure 1). Figure 1 Overview of PSSLSA