Virtual Booth

It is a visualization technique which allows non-computer science students to organize programming facts and thoughts in a map format containing a central image, main themes radiating from the central image, branches with key words, plus branches forming a connected nodal structure. Based on the literature review and the first researcher’s own experience as an information science lecturer, it was found that the critical part of the programming process starts at the analysis (first stage) of the computer problem (Figure 1). The students’ inability to acquire the appropriate skills at this stage will have an effect on the next phase of the programming sequence. Needs analysis was done to further investigate this problem. The results revealed that there were general deficiencies in non-computer science students’ knowledge of computer programming in each phase of the programming processes. Traditional design tools such as pseudo codes and flowcharts were not sufficient in helping these students to see the ‘problems’ to be programmed. There was an urgent need for a new approach or technique to help the non-computer science students in the analyzing process of computer programming and mind mapping was used as the novel approach.