Author:
Rafael DelVado Vírseda
Affiliation:
Computing Systems and Computation Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Keyword(s):
Compiler Design Course, Interactive Learning, Interactive Tutoring Systems, Compiler Writing Tools.
Abstract:
In this paper, we analyze the experiences and results obtained by using an Interactive Tutoring Tool (ITT) (del Vado Vírseda, 2020; del Vado Vírseda, 2022) to interactively tutoring the learning of the basic theoretical contents of a course on compiler design. Instead of beginning by studying the theory and then obtaining the code of its corresponding implementation in each of the phases of compiler construction, we propose to start from the implementation obtained by the students using automatic code generation tools (del Vado Vírseda, 2021). By using ITT, we interactively guide the exploration of the finite state automata and graphs generated by compiler writing tools, learning the most important theoretical concepts from the implementation, and increasing the understanding of the theory in relation to the code of its implementation. This work reports on this educational experience of improving the teaching of theory from the implementation, by using the interactive visualizations
and explorations produced by ITT. As an evaluation of the educational experience with ITT, the academic results obtained by the students are analyzed, to provide success indicators.
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