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A Study of Value Trace Problems in

JavaScript Programming Learning
Assistant System

25th August 2021

KHIN THET MON

Nobuo Funabiki, Sandi Kyaw Htoo Htoo,
Paing Paing Zaw May, Myat Ei Ei

Dept. of Electrical and Communication Engineering

Okayama University, Japan
Dept. of Information Technology
Thanlyin Technological University, Myanmar
FIT 2021
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FIT 2021
Agenda
Background and contribution

Overview of value trace problem

Value trace problems for JavaScript programming

Evaluations

Conclusion and future studies

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FIT 2021
Agenda
Background and contribution

Overview of value trace problem

Value trace problems for JavaScript

programming

Evaluations

Conclusion and future studies

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Background and Contribution
FIT 2021

• JavaScript programming becomes most popular, since it is very important in

developing web application systems.
• However, it is still not educated in universities, although the study may not be
easy for studying since the code is made by special composing styles.
• To assist self-study, we are developing JavaScript programming learning
assistant system (JSPLAS) by extending our works for Java programming.

Most popular language

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JPLAS
• Previously, we have developed Java Programming Learning
Assistant System (JPLAS) to assist Java programming study.

• JPLAS offers different types of exercise problems for step-by-step

programming study:

• GUP: Grammar-concept Understanding Problem

• VTP: Value Trace Problem
• EFP: Element fill-in-blank Problem
• CAP: Code Amendment Problem
• CMP : Code Modifying Problem
• CWP: Code Writing Problem
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FIT 2021
Step-by-step Programming Study
Study language grammar in classes / textbooks

Study keyword definitions in grammar by GUP

Study how to use keyword in source code by VTP

Study how to partially write source code by EFP

Study how to debug source code by CAP

Study how to modify source code by CMP

Study how to fully write source code by CWP

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FIT 2021
Agenda
Background and contribution

Overview of Value Trace Problem

Value trace problems for JavaScript programming

Evaluations

Conclusion and future studies

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Design Goals of Value Trace Problem VTP
FIT 2021

A variety of source codes effective in programming study

are given with full forms to novice students.

Students can correctly answer the questions only by

carefully reading and understanding the codes.

Any student answer can be marked through string

matching automatically.
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Generations of Value Trace Problem VTP
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Select a source code that is suitable for studying basic grammar
concepts or a fundamental data structure/algorithm

Find important messages and key variables in the code

Add the corresponding standard output statements of them

Prepare the questions of asking the messages/values at the

standard output and their correct answers
Put together the source code, the questions, and the correct
answers into one text file
Run the program with the text file to generate the
HTML/CSS/JavaScript files for the answer interface on a browser

Register the generate VTP instance in the assignment to students

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Value Trace Problem VTP
FIT 2021

We study value trace problem (VTP) for JavaScript

programming in JSPLAS, based on the works for JPLAS.

Collect 57 source codes for Analyze important variables,

basic grammar concepts add standard outputs in codes
and prepare correct answers.

Generate corresponding VTP

Assign them to instances by running the
students in Myanmar generation program.
and Japan studying
JS Programming.
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FIT 2021
Agenda
Background and contribution

Overview of value trace problem

Value trace problems for JavaScript

programming

Evaluations

Conclusion and future studies

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JSPLAS
VTP - I VTP - II
32 Problems 25 Problems
Primitive Data Types Non-primitive Data Types(objects,array,..)
(number,strings,..) Operators (Comparison, Logical, Conditional)
Operators Precedence Associativity
(Assignment, Arithmetic) Checking (Upper Case,Vowel, Prime Number,
Functions Data Types, Perfect Number)
Objects Global Functions
Strings Numeric Array Sorting
Number Methods Looping
Arrays Variables
Conditions Var Vs Let Vs Const
Looping Arrow Functions
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User Interfaces for VTP
Source Code
Source Code

Answer forms to
be filled in

Questions

Top Button

Answer Button
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Marking Result at Interface

Red background :
incorrect answer

White background :
correct answer
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Agenda
 Background and contribution

 Overview of value trace problem

 Value trace problems for JavaScript programming

 Evaluations

 Conclusion and future studies

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Results for VTP-I

The generated VTP instances are at proper levels for

novice students for studying JavaScript programming.

• 6 students among 44 achieved 100% correct rate.

• 25 students achieved 95 to 99%..
• 8 students achieved 90 to 94%.
• 5 students achieved 80 to 89%.
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Results for VTP-II

The students improved after solving VTP-I, although

VTP-II are more difficult.

• 21 students among 45 achieved 100% correct rate.

• 20 students achieved 95 to 99%.
• 2 students did 90 to 94%.
• 2 students did 80 to 89%.
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Discussion
• The average correct answer rate among the students is 96.55%
for VTP-I and 98.30% for VTP-II.

• It is confirmed that the VTP instances in this paper are proper for
JavaScript programming novice students to study.

• However, instances on some libraries are hard for students.

(Strings, Operators (Arithmetic, Assignment),Array,..)

• In future works, we will improve the references on these topics.

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FIT 2021
Agenda
Background and contribution

Overview of value trace problem

Value trace problems for JavaScript programming

Evaluations

Conclusion and future studies

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Conclusion and Future Works
Conclusion
• We generated the value trace problem (VTP) for JavaScript programming
studies for novice students.
• 57 VTP instances were generated using source codes for basic grammar
concepts of JavaScript.
• The application results to 45 university students in Myanmar and Japan
confirmed the effectiveness of them, where every student achieved the 80%
or higher correct rate on average.
Future Works
• We will improve the references on the hard topics, generate new VTP
instances for studying advanced grammar concepts, common libraries, or
data structure and algorithms, and apply them to students in JavaScript
programming courses.
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Thank you for your kind attention.

ご清聴ありがとうございました。