The Tutorial Generation Toolkit

The Tutorial Generation Toolkit is a Java library that supports the construction of interactive tutorial applications. It allows incorporation of sprite-based animation, voice-overs, and interactive exercises as well as multiple choice self tests with result logging to a database. The original toolkit was described in a 1998 SIGCSE paper (see reference below). Links to more recent papers are given below.

Documentation

• University of Richmond technical report TR-02-01 - Design and implementation of interactive tutorials for data structures
• University of Richmond technical report TR-03-01 - Creating and Modifying Dynamic Animation Sequences Using the TGT_Toolkit
• TGT class documentation (jar file of API docs)
• Documentation bundle - tech reports, some programming notes, and the API documentation
• Slides from CCSCE-06 talk

Tutorials

The tutorials require Java 1.5 or later and the Java Media Framework library to run.

Unless marked otherwise, these files must be downloaded and unpacked using the jar tool (jar xf file.jar) before execution. Each tutorial should be unpacked in a separate folder or directory to prevent configuration files from being overwritten. Each file contains a batch file and a unix shell script with the same name as the tutorial that should run the tutorial. If the batch files don't work, the command "java tapestry" should execute the tutorial.

Some of the tutorials are available as executable JAR files. Because Sun has not seen fit to fix a problem in the JMF classes, the audio is not available when the programs are run in this way.

• Run the tutorial applications using Java Web Start
• Download individual tutorials (right-click and "save as")
  • Binary Representation (9.9 MB) [Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial on the use of binary representation in for storing data in computers.
  • Components of a Computer (5.4 MB) [Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial on the different hardware components that make up a computer.
  • A Model of Computation (8.0MB) [Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial describing what happens "under the hood" when a computer executes a program.
  • Components of a Program (8.5MB) [Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial on the different parts that make up a complete program.
  • Selection and Looping (17.5MB)[Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial that introduces students to the concept of conditional execution and loops.
  • Searching (9.5MB)[Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial that introduces students to the concept of searching, the Linear Search and Binary Search.
  • Sorting (11.0MB)[Updated](Executable JAR) - A tutorial that introduces students to the concept of sorting and the Insertion Sort algorithm.
  • Objects and References (5.6MB)[Updated](Executable JAR) - A tutorial introduction to object orientation in Java. (The voice-over for this tutorial is incomplete.)
  • Quick Sort (1.0MB)[Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial on the Quick Sort algorithm.
  • Heap Sort (1.4MB)[Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial on the Heap Sort algorithm.
  • Linked Lists (1.0MB)[Updated] (Executable JAR) - A tutorial on programming and using linked list data structures.
  • Sample Tutorial - A tutorial that gives the user a general idea of what the TGT is capable of.

Source Code

• Download toolkit jar file (right-click and "save as")
• Binary Representation tutorial source
• Components of a Computer tutorial source
• A Model of Computation tutorial source
• Components of a Program tutorial source
• Selection and Looping tutorial source
• Searching tutorial source
• Basic Sorting tutorial source
• Objects and References tutorial source
• Quick Sort tutorial source
• Heap Sort tutorial source
• Linked Lists tutorial source

Credits

The original set of tutorials was conceived by Joe Kent. Original design and implementation was carried out by Joe Kent, Lewis Barnett, Justin Casp and David Green with the support of NSF grant DUE-9652982 and support from the ACS/Mellon Foundation.

More recently, Lewis Barnett and Ross Gore updated the system to include dynamically generated animation sequences and added several tutorials on topics from the Data Structures course.

References

1. L. Barnett, J. Casp, D. Green and J. Kent. Design and Implementation of an Interactive Tutorial Framework. Proceedings of the 29th SIGCSE Technical Symposium, Atlanta, Georgia, February 25 - March 1, 1998. Pages 87 - 91.
2. L. Barnett, R. Gore. Design and Implementation of Interactive Tutorials for Data Structures. Proceedings of CCSCE 06, Fredericksburg, VA, October 27 - 28, 2006.

Barnett's Home MCS Faculty Math/CS Arts & Sciences UR

Lewis Barnett/ Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science/ University of Richmond, VA 23173/

Last modified: Thu Oct 26 16:48:20 Eastern Daylight Time 2006

Supported by: National Science Foundation Associated Colleges of the South University of Richmond