拼圖式視覺化程式設計語言的圖層化組織管理- 以MIT App Inventor為實驗環境

Abstract

本研究針對拼圖式視覺化程式設計語言提出使用圖層化作為管理依據的新介面，希望藉由新的介面可以改善拼圖式視覺化程式設計語言的程式區塊理解、可讀性、結構組織性以及重複利用性，並且使用MIT App Inventor作為實驗環境，MIT App Inventor是Google以及MIT Center for Mobile Learning Mission共同開發的資訊教育環境，本環境利用類似MIT Scratch的拼圖式視覺化程設計語言，希望能夠提供使用者一個友善且易於開發Android App的環境，MIT App Inventor在美國已經被許多國中、高中、甚至大學採用為程式訓練的課程。在Scratch的研究上已經證實拼圖式視覺化程式設計語言對於資訊教育有顯著的幫助，配合現今人手一機的環境，MIT App Inventor希望使用者不但可以利用各種手機應用程式，也希望人人都可以開發自己所需要的手機應用程式。拼圖式視覺化程設計語言有別於以往的文本程式代碼，藉由視覺化的程式區塊提供使用者一個簡單且容易上手的開發環境，但是同時也產生許多問題。例如畫面太過壅塞、找不到目標程式區塊等等問題，本研究將針對下述三點：程式區塊閱讀、搜尋效率以及重複利用性，提出圖層化操作管理的介面，希望可以藉由這樣的新介面改善上述的問題。

This thesis is contributed to MIT App Inventor. MIT App Inventor is developed by Google and MIT Center for Mobile Learning. By using block-based visual programming language, MIT Scratch already won their titles for educating children to programming. MIT App Inventor tries to extend the usage of block-based visual programming language. Combined with the fact that mobile phones are very popular nowadays, MIT App Inventor became a popular IDE because it provides an easier way for people to develop their own Android Apps. By using block-based visual programming language, students can learn programming efficiently. It becomes a new platform for teaching introduction of computer science. Behind the convinence of using block-based visual programming language, it also brings up some issues when there’s too many blocks on a same canvas. We devided these issues to 4 dimensions: the understanding of block codes, the readability of block codes, the structures of block codes, and the reusability of block codes. We developed a new feature called "Layer" to deal with the issues come up with using Block-based Visual Programming Language. We believe we can solve these 4 issues by using the concept of layers easily.