Traditional lectures have long been part of our educational system. They present facts and information in a concise and direct manner, yet, according to some studies, they are inferior to more active teaching methods when it comes to a student’s performance and practical skills. In spite of this, lectures continue to be a large part of most college’s curriculum, were, albeit not used all of the time, still contribute to a big portion of what is being done in class. This presents a critical problem in Computer Science courses, where active solution seeking and team work play an important role in the student’s career. Although courses usually combine lectures with other active-learning activities (such as labs), the time spent in lectures could still be used to nourish the aforementioned skills. This paper compares lectures to two alternatives methods: Cooperative Learning and Practical Problem-Based Learning, and explains why any of them proves superior to the didactic lecture. The Cooperative Learning method—proposed and evaluated by Leland Beck and Alexander Chizhik—relies heavily on teamwork while the Practical Problem-Based Learning method—which effectiveness’ was measured by Barg et al.—relies more on self-discovery. This paper then tries to explain why such substitution would benefit students in Computer Science I courses and the importance of at least testing their efficiency in different classrooms. Being a Computer Science I student who is almost done with the course, I will provide some personal input as well.
Before explaining their shortcomings, it is important to note the advantages of using lectures. Having being used for a long time, lectures are one of the most traditional ways of teaching. Their positive character...
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...exander Chizhik. “Cooperative Learning Instructional Methods for CS1: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation.” Trans. Comput. Educ. 13.3 (2013): 10:1–10:21. ACM Digital Library. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
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Information and Software Technology Years 7–10: Advice on Programming and Assessment. (2003). Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/info_soft_tech_710_support.pdf
Many colleges have failed in achieving the perfect education by the excessive use of technology. Hacker and Dreifus support the use of technology in many cases, such as having interactive question where the software can give the chance to review your work or giving hints to find the right answer (182). Nevertheless, they are completely aware that the use of technology needs to be supported by a good instruction inside the classrooms (183). The University of the Ozarks’ technological resources out of class are a great advantage to improve the learning process in students’ free time. Online discussions, submitting assignments, and taking online tests are the most common online activities for students in this university, this activities challenge the knowledge acquired in class. Moreover, using technology outside the classroom provides the opportunity to use all the class time to go on new topics, to discus, and to answer questions. Nevertheless, the University of the Ozarks is not using all its technological resources appropriately. Most of the classrooms are provided with interactive boards, speakers, and projectors that are hardly ever used. If the university used every technological resource at its maximum, the positive results of learning would
Brooks, J.G. &Brooks, M.G. (1995). Constructing Knowledge in the Classroom. Retrieved September 13, 2002 for Internet. http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v01n03/1.html.
It is true that freedom to think is essential during the students’ development. When I started to study computer science in the United States, I have ...
Brookshear, J. G., Smith, D. T. and Brylow, D. (2011) Computer Science: An Overview. 11th ed. Prentice Hall / ADDISON WESLEY Publishing Company Incorporated. Available at: http://books.google.com/books?id=LbtoewAACAAJ.
In today’s world where several different domains of technology must imbricate to pacify the rapid pace of development, it is necessary to take a multifaceted approach to learning. While Electrical Engineering major courses like Microprocessors, Embedded Controllers and Digital Electronics have exposed me to computing and data storage at the lowest level, chosen Computer Science courses like Computer Systems and Programming, Data Structures and MOOCs like Algorithms, Machine Learning and Software-as-a-Service have equipped me with the latest knowledge and ideas to capitalize on the digital systems as efficiently as possible. Two initial advanced courses in Mathematics have stre...
I took up Computer Science and Engineering as my discipline in Bhoj Reddy Engineering College for Women affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, one of the premier institutes in India. My undergraduate education has been a great learning and enriching process for me. It exposed me to all the core areas of Computer Science like operating systems, database management systems, networks and network security, data structures, algorithms and software engineering. These courses have given me a good foundation in the core concepts. My interest lies in Database Management, Programming Languages, Theory of Computation, and Software Engineering. I am fully acquainted with the fast growing subjects like Object Oriented Programming, Analysis and Design. On the other hand, the intensive laboratory classes exposed me to a fascinating world of experimentation. It was here that I discovered the qualities of perseverance and diligence in myself. I feel that these courses have done a lot to prepare me for my future studies and research work.
Collaborative and cooperative learning promotes student learning through group-oriented activities. Collaborative learning is a method of teaching and learning in which student teams will work together to create a meaningful multimedia project. Cooperative learning, which will be the primary focus of this paper, is a specific kind of collaborative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups on a structured activity. Cooperative groups will work face-to-face and will learn to work as a team. The multimedia project will allow all students to benefit from gaining a deeper knowledge of the multimedia matters through communication with their peers and building relationships among their peers of different ethnic, backgrounds, learning abilities and gender.
Scarnati, J. T. (2001). Cooperative learning: make groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 67(Fall), 71-82.
Fifteen years ago, I proudly walked across the stage at Milwaukee Trade & Techincal High School, having victoriously earned my High School Diploma. At that time, I was only naively aware of the road that lied ahead. I would soon begin the pursuit of a degree in Computer Science at Marquette University, but my first semester would be interrupted by legal troubles and further hindered by the untimely realization that I’d prefer not to spend the rest of my life “alone in a room,” performing what I had begun to perceive as the tedious and antisocial task of computer programming.
In the course itself and in each module students would be provided with opportunities to interact and connect with other students and the instructor. Discussion boards were built into each module to facilitate communication, collaboration, and interactivity. Additional group exercises were developed to further foster the development of collaboration and community building within the course.
Collaborative learning is an educational approach that involves groups of learners working together to reach a consensus through negotiation to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product (Bruffee, 1993). Learning occurs through active engagement among peers, wherein the main characteristics of collaborative learning are: a common task or activity; small group learning, co-operative behaviour; interdependence; and individual responsibility and accountability (Lejeune, 2003).
My undergraduate preparation at the Computer Science of my University has given me a very substantial knowledge of the basic areas of Computer Science. Any amount of learning in Computer Science would be incomplete without hands on experience of Programming. In a world where...
The students, according to Ahmad Hadi Ali and Siti Nur Kamariah Rubani (2008), will attempt to unravel the authentic problem by using their experiences and skills while actively learn the subject content to solve the problem. Hence, this makes Problem-Based Learning (PBL) a very active, interactive and collaborative based education (Ahmad Hadi Ali and Siti Nur Kamariah Rubani, n.d.).
Moccozet, L., Opprecht, W., & Léonard, M. (2009). A Collaborative Training Platform for Peer-Based Co-Construction of Knowledge and Co-Tutoring. International Journal Of Emerging Technologies In Learning, (S3), 40-45. doi:10.3991/ijet.v4s3.1100