Communication Simulation for Learning Information Theory

Abstract

This paper proposes an educational system for understanding information theory. This system allows learners to experience the process of sending messages from the transmitter to the receiver through a noisy communication channel. The transmitter compresses the message string using Huffman coding and adds redundancy using Hamming coding. The result is saved as a text file simulating a noisy communication channel by randomly flipping 0s and 1s. The receiver opens this text file, performs error correction using Hamming decoding, and decompresses the message using Huffman decoding to restore the original string. The results of each step are visualized as colored text or charts. Learners can also be given tasks such as rearranging the processing order or filling in missing terms. It is expected that the fuzzy understanding of information theory in secondary education can be clarified in higher education.