Using JFLAP to engage students and improve learning of computer science theory: tutorial presentation
Jody Paul · Journal of computing sciences in colleges · 2015
Many students experience both difficulty and lack of engagement during their introductions to the essential computer science theory concepts of formal languages and automata. JFLAP is a freely-available, interactive, visual application that provides a means to close the engagement gap between students and this knowledge area. Participants will gain hands-on experience with the JFLAP application and its use to support learning these CS theory concepts: regular languages (deterministic and non-deterministic finite automata, regular grammars, regular expressions); context-free languages (push-down automata, context-free grammars, Chomsky normal form); the regular and context-free language pumping lemmas; Turing machines and unrestricted grammars.