A Java Application for Teaching Graphs in Undergraduate Courses

Abstract

Graph theory is a common topic that is introduced as part of the curricula of computing courses such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology and Software Engineering. Understanding graphs is fundamental for solving many real-world problems, such as network routing, social network analysis, and circuit design; however, many students struggle to grasp the concepts of graph theory, as they often have difficulties in visualising and manipulating graphs. To overcome these difficulties, educational software can be used to aid in the teaching and learning of graph theory. This work focuses on the development of a Java system for graph visualisation and computation, called MaGraDa (Graphs for Discrete Mathematics), that can help both students and teachers of undergraduate or high school courses that include concepts and algorithms related to graphs. A survey on the use of this tool was conducted to explore the satisfaction level of students on a Discrete Mathematics course taken as part of a Computer Engineering degree at the University of Alicante (Spain). An analysis of the results showed that this educational software had the potential to enhance students’ understanding of graph theory and could enable them to apply these concepts to solve practical problems in the field of computer science. In addition, it was shown to facilitate self-learning and to have a significant impact on their academic performance.