  The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is commonly used in introductory Computer
Science to teach basic object-oriented design. However, there appears to be a
lack of suitable software to support this task. Many of the available programs
that support UML focus on developing code and not on enhancing learning. Those
that were designed for educational use sometimes have poor interfaces or are
missing common and important features, such as multiple selection and
undo/redo. There is a need for software that is tailored to an instructional
environment and has all the useful and needed functionality for that specific
task. This is the purpose of minimUML. minimUML provides a minimum amount of
UML, just what is commonly used in beginning programming classes, while
providing a simple, usable interface. In particular, minimUML was designed to
support abstract design while supplying features for exploratory learning and
error avoidance. In addition, it allows for the annotation of diagrams, through
text or freeform drawings, so students can receive feedback on their work.
minimUML was developed with the goal of supporting ease of use, supporting
novice students, and a requirement of no prior-training for its use.
