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Visual Depiction of Decision Statements: What is Best for Programmers and Non-programmers
Get PDFThis paper reports the results of two experiments investigating differences in comprehensibility of textual and graphical notations for representing decision statements. The first experiment was a replication of a prior experiment that found textual notations to be better than particular graphical notations. After replicating this study, two other hypotheses were investigated in a second experiment. Our first claim
is that graphics may be better for technical, non-programmers than they are for programmers because of the great amount of experience that programmers have with textual notations in programming languages. The second is that modifications to graphical forms may improve their usefulness. The results support both of these hypotheses.
Keywords: visual programming, decision structures, program comprehension, expert-novice difference
A Simulation Tool for the Manufacturing Engineering Department's Flexible Manufacturing Cell
Get PDFThe flexible manufacturing cell in the manufacturing engineering
department's computer integrated manufacturing systems lab is used to study manufacturing processes. A loop conveyor, an automated storage and retrieval system, robots and a lathe station are configured to exemplify a manufacturing process. This software was developed to allow the user to alter, modify and/or expand on the manufacturing process represented, and to conduct simulation studies relative to it. It presumes that the basic structure of the cell is to remain intact, while the type of and number of stations, and the behavior of the conveyor at
each of the various stations, can be modified
A Demonstration of Computer Assisted Instruction Using Authorware Professional to Teach Basic Theology
Get PDFThe purpose of this thesis is to investigate principles which are basic to Computer Assisted Instruction and how Authorware Professional is able to make use of these principles.
A computer assisted instruction module will be produced to demonstrate these principles within the Authorware environment. This module would be used by an individual end user. This module provides enough specific instructions within the program
itself that an end user may easily use it. There are two major reasons for choosing Authorware. The first is that I have had experience using this product in different ways. These include public presentations for the library and a simulation module for a graduate class. The second reason is that in light of that experience I believe it provides an excellent vehicle for computer assisted instruction. Authorware Professional may be described as having some relationship to Director but is easier for the end user and thus allows for more emphasis on methodology rather than learning the details of the software.
The particular vehicle which was chosen is instruction in basic theology. The reason for choosing this vehicle is that I have a Master's of Theology degree and twelve years of experience as a minister. This enabled me to concentrate on the methodology used
in the module rather than the content as I could be my own resource. My experience in communication and teaching also provides a valuable background for this thesis. Many of
the means of communicating ideas used in this module draw upon my experience in dealing with people and communicating concepts to them. This description is designed to convey the major concepts I learned while producing this module as well as provide a basic description of the program itself. As such, it
includes a description of basic general principles, a general description of Authorware, the way Authorware was used in the program, a discussion of my response to user suggestions and some thoughts for future study. The major part of the project is the program itself. This document seeks to clarify methods, structure and learning
Applying an Operational Formal Method to Safety-Critical Systems
Get PDFDespite thirty years of study by the academic community, industry has not embraced the systematic usage of formal methods. To address this concern, a formal method is proposed which possesses many of the qualities that practitioners have
listed as lacking from current formal methods: inclusion of both a specification and verification model, a tabular notation that only requires knowledge of first-order logic, support for both composition and decomposition, application throughout the
software life-cycle, and tool support. The presentation includes several applications to safety-critical software systems.
Keywords and Phrases Formal methods, specification, trace-based systems, software development, concurrency, verification
