Empirically evaluating the use of animations to teach algorithms

As algorithm animation systems become more widely available and easy to use, instructors will have the opportunity to utilize these systems to assist their teaching. Although algorithm animation systems have generated excitement and interest in both teachers and students, little empirical evidence exists to promote their use. This article describes a study involving the use of algorithm animations in classroom and laboratory settings. Results indicated that allowing students to create their own examples in a laboratory session led to higher accuracy on a post-test examination of understanding as compared to students who viewed prepared examples or no laboratory examples.>