Title University Information Service: Contents | Index | Search

CBL for graphics: the use of Java for tutorials on the Web

Ian Palmer & Paul Helm

Abstract

There has been a great deal of interest in the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a tool for teaching and education. Whilst in theory the Web is a practical aid for educational use, in practice it is slow and prone to unfriendly error messages. As in the early days of drill and practice Computer Based Learning (CBL), there is a lack of meaningful interaction. Java can provide this interaction and moves the Web away from the electronic book metaphor to a fully interactive and (most importantly to the learner) technologically transparent learning environment.

Computer graphics is an inherently visual subject. The focus of this work is to explore whether a more visual learning environment has any educational gains and how Java can be used to enhance the learning experience. The work documents the development of a CBL tutorial for 3D computer graphics in Java. The package is designed to be used by undergraduate students and serves to illustrate the viewing transformation process. Users can manipulate various parameters and the results are displayed in the view window, providing immediate feedback to their actions.

Presented at the 3D & Multimedia on the Internet, WWW & Networks Conference, University of Bradford, April 1996.

Up to Publications page