Abstract:

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Animation and Visualization of Data (AVDS) tool on perceptions and objective test performance among second-year students enrolled in a data structure course at the SCE college, Beer Sheva, Israel (https://en.sce.ac.il/). The study sought to examine the tool's usability, acceptability, and contribution to solving exercises. A total of 78 students participated in the study and were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group that used the AVDS tool and a control group that did not use the tool. We can assume that participating students are similar to each other in terms of their educational background and academic level and can be classified as a homogeneous population; the average age of participants was determined to be 27 years old. Both groups performed a test that included questions on the AVL tree.

The study found that the AVDS tool was easy to use and was perceived as excellent by the experimental group. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire was used to measure the perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and attitudes toward usage (ATU) of the tool. The results showed that PU, PEOU, and ATU jointly led to a positive intention to use the AVDS tool. PEOU was found to be a key factor influencing participants' intention to use the tool. Moreover, the AVDS system improved test results and provided flexibility in use. An improved version of the AVDS tool, which is currently under development, will include additional features and gather statistics on the usage of the system. This data will provide insight into the most widely used algorithms and data structures, frequency of use, various demographic information of the learners, number of active users, and more.

In summary, this study contributes to the growing body of research on the effectiveness of AVDS tools in computer science education. It underscores the importance of the development of interactive educational tools and highlights the value of incorporating visualization and animation into teaching and learning the Data Structures course. The current version of the ADVS tool (some features are still under development) can be accessed at http://ds-sce.sce-fpm.com:3000/.

Keywords:

Animation and Visualization of Data Structures, System Usability Scale, Technology Acceptance Mode, Structural Equation Modelling, Linear Regression Model.