A simulation was developed to assist beginning students understand the mechanisms at work during procedure calls. The simulation (Kid Codie) provides the student with three program alternatives that demonstrate the way parameters are passed in Pascal programs. The software was developed for delivery to both on-campus and distance students.
Kid Codie was integrated into a degree subject for the first time in semester one 1995, and was included in the materials for distance students enrolling in semester two 1995.
Acceptance of the software by students was initially gauged by surveying on-campus students. Evaluation of usage by distance students will be undertaken during semester two, 1995. Student performance on the final examination will be evaluated to determine if use of the simulation had a significant influence on student understanding of the concepts. Examination performance in questions related to the simulation topics will be compared for the group of students who used the software, and the group of students who did not use the software, normalised against performance in other areas. These results will be presented at the conference.
This paper briefly outlines the design methodology and key software specifications. Details of the evaluation strategy and the results of that evaluation are presented.
