A new software program created at the Johannes Kepler University Linz means students can now become software programmers themselves! Designed for classroom lessons in computer science, the new software also allows self-taught programmers to easily and clearly venture into the world of algorithms.

“JavaWiz” is an innovative educational and learning resource that uses visual representations to make abstract programming concepts more tangible. Beginning programmers often find source code too abstract and the “behind the scenes” connections difficult to understand. JKU computer scientist DI Dr. Markus Weninger remarked: “It’s a shame because that's where the really interesting things happen: Data is generated, continually reconnected, and changes constantly.”

Also Suitable for School Students
Educators often tend to not only rely on static illustrations (such as slides) to describe these computational processes, but also equally static and difficult-to-grasp explanations. Created at the JKU's Institute for Systems Software, “JavaWiz” completely and dynamically provides a visualization of Java programs’ inner workings, giving educators more flexibility when teaching the subject. Rather than simply showing images, for example, students can collaboratively create interesting programs in class, visualizing and understanding them directly. Weninger adds: “In this case, 'What if...' is followed by 'Let's try it out'.”

JavaWiz can also help students complete homework assignments and minimize time spent searching for errors. Be it at school, at university, or simply for anyone interested in creating their first programs at home, less time spent on assignments can result in both boosting student motivation and improving the learning outcome.

Initial user ratings within an academic environment have been impressive: 85% of students say that when it comes to studying, JavaWiz has been helpful, sometimes even extremely helpful. Beginners report particularly beneficial aspects. In addition, the program received the “Kepler Award for Excellence in Teaching” and the “Adolf Adam Computer Science Award”.

In April, “JavaWiz” will make its debut at an international conference in Canada, and Weninger hopes that it ‘could pave the way towards more widespread use of this innovative, educational technology’.

A few JavaWiz features:

• Makes something invisible visible: Realtime displays depicting what is going on inside of a program, similar to an x-ray machine for programs
• Can rewind: Students can rewind and fast-forward the program flow to better understand complex processes
• Interactive graphics: Transforms complicated text lines into vivid diagrams and visualizations
• Easy to use: One-click installation in the widely used VS Code programming environment

Learn more: https://javawiz.net, opens an external URL in a new window

Download "JavaWiz": https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/
items?itemName=SSW-JKU.javawiz, opens an external URL in a new window

Read the paper: https://ssw.jku.at/General/Staff/Weninger/
Papers/Weninger_ICPC_25_Preprint.pdf, opens an external URL in a new window