Computer science illustrated: engaging visual aids for computer science education

TLDR: In producing twenty-seven illustrations, the authors determined which topics were most difficult for students to understand in the authors' university's introductory computer science courses and followed a step-by-step process of design, redesign, and revision to generate the illustrations.

Abstract: Computer Science Illustrated1 is an endeavor to help visual learners comprehend computer science topics through a series of resolution-independent illustrations, which are made available online for use as handouts in class and posters in the computer labs. These illustrations are designed to present concepts as engaging and memorable visual metaphors combined with concise explanations or short narratives, intended to maintain the students' interest and facilitate retention. An additional goal of the project is to make learning the concepts an entertaining experience through the use of colorful and whimsical characters in the illustrations. In producing our twenty-seven illustrations, we determined which topics were most difficult for students to understand in our university's introductory computer science courses and followed a step-by-step process of design, redesign, and revision to generate our illustrations. We also assessed the effectiveness of our creations, using both subjective and objective measures.