This paper presents the implications of an ongoing project on the design and development of multimedia instructional material for teaching and learning computer science topics at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Important pedagogical requirements that CAI software should satisfy include: (1) animation of the changes in tree topologies; (2) coordination of the text of the algorithm, the explanation of what is happening at the current step and the interactive animation; (3) superimposition of meta-algorithmic information; (4) presentation of dynamic examples; (5) the ability to create dynamic quizzes; and (6) augmenting data structures with procedures. Subject matter is divided into themes, as in traditional classroom instruction, and the software is developed for each of these themes. The current theme is tree data structures, such as binary trees, red-black trees, and 2-3 trees. The tools are intended to relieve students of the burden of visualizing the data structures and to enable teachers to concentrate more on the principles behind the data structures than on the mechanical operations. (Contains 10 references.) (AEF)