Teaching Shortest Path Algorithms With a Robot and Overlaid Projections

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Jolakoski, Pavel, Deja, Jordan Aiko, Pucihar, Klen Čopič, Kljun, Matjaž
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Jolakoski, Pavel
Deja, Jordan Aiko
Pucihar, Klen Čopič
Kljun, Matjaž
author_facet Jolakoski, Pavel
Deja, Jordan Aiko
Pucihar, Klen Čopič
Kljun, Matjaž
contents Robots have the potential to enhance teaching of advanced computer science topics, making abstract concepts more tangible and interactive. In this paper, we present Timmy-a GoPiGo robot augmented with projections to demonstrate shortest path algorithms in an interactive learning environment. We integrated a JavaScript-based application that is projected around the robot, which allows users to construct graphs and visualise three different shortest path algorithms with colour-coded edges and vertices. Animated graph exploration and traversal are augmented by robot movements. To evaluate Timmy, we conducted two user studies. An initial study (n=10) to explore the feasibility of this type of teaching where participants were just observing both robot-synced and the on-screen-only visualisations. And a pilot study (n=6) where participants actively interacted with the system, constructed graphs and selected desired algorithms. In both studies we investigated the preferences towards the system and not the teaching outcome. Initial findings suggest that robots offer an engaging tool for teaching advanced algorithmic concepts, but highlight the need for further methodological refinements and larger-scale studies to fully evaluate their effectiveness.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2411_15535
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Teaching Shortest Path Algorithms With a Robot and Overlaid Projections
Jolakoski, Pavel
Deja, Jordan Aiko
Pucihar, Klen Čopič
Kljun, Matjaž
Robotics
Human-Computer Interaction
Robots have the potential to enhance teaching of advanced computer science topics, making abstract concepts more tangible and interactive. In this paper, we present Timmy-a GoPiGo robot augmented with projections to demonstrate shortest path algorithms in an interactive learning environment. We integrated a JavaScript-based application that is projected around the robot, which allows users to construct graphs and visualise three different shortest path algorithms with colour-coded edges and vertices. Animated graph exploration and traversal are augmented by robot movements. To evaluate Timmy, we conducted two user studies. An initial study (n=10) to explore the feasibility of this type of teaching where participants were just observing both robot-synced and the on-screen-only visualisations. And a pilot study (n=6) where participants actively interacted with the system, constructed graphs and selected desired algorithms. In both studies we investigated the preferences towards the system and not the teaching outcome. Initial findings suggest that robots offer an engaging tool for teaching advanced algorithmic concepts, but highlight the need for further methodological refinements and larger-scale studies to fully evaluate their effectiveness.
title Teaching Shortest Path Algorithms With a Robot and Overlaid Projections
topic Robotics
Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.15535