Hundhausen, C.D., & Brown, J.L. (In press). Designing, Visualizing, and Discussing Algorithms within a CS 1 Studio Experience: An Empirical Study. To appear in Computers & Education. [pdf]
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This paper presents an empirical comparison of art supplies and the ALVIS Live! algorithm visualization software within the context of a “studio experience”—a novel CS 1 pedagogical activity in which student pairs develop solutions to algorithm design problems, create accompanying visual reprsentations, and finally present their visual solutions to the class for feedback and discussion. The centerpiece of the article is a series of post-hoc content analyses of the presentation sessions. These analyses highlight not only the pedagogical benefits of visualization-mediated discussions, but also the pedagogical tradeoffs of art supplies and ALVIS Live! in this context.