Experience in Applying Online Learning Techniques in Computer Science

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Experience in Applying Online Learning
Techniques in Computer Science Engineering

• Dr. Aiman H. El-Maleh
• Computer Engineering Department
• King Fahd University of Petroleum Minerals

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Outline

• Techniques Tools Employed to Enhance Students
  Learning
• Student Survey
• Assessment of Experience
• Future Plan

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Techniques Tools Employed to Enhance Students
Learning

• Discussion Questions
• Module Reflections
• Play the Role of the Instructor
• Anonymous Evaluations
• Effective Communication

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Discussion Questions

• Posted as bonus questions to
• enhance students' critical thinking skills and
  collaborative learning
• address issues that could not be addressed in
  class
• put more emphasis on key concepts
• Received great success and there is good
  participation from students.
• Important for instructors to learn
• how to prop for further discussions
• strike a balance between being available in the
  discussions and allowing students to participate
  more in the discussions.

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Discussion Participations
Course Term Students Discussions
ICS 233 072 23 578
COE 390 072 7 84
COE 360 071 14 182
COE 205 071 20 455
COE 205 062 20 660
COE 405 062 16 140
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Discussion Questions

• Bonus discussion questions motivated students to
  participate
• Not all students participate at the same level
• Nearly half the class is active in the
  discussions and the rest have less
  participations.
• Discussions questions should be made as part of
  the course requirement rather than a bonus

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ICS 233 Discussion Statistics
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COE 205 Discussion Statistics
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Discussion Question Sample
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Module Reflections

• At the end of each module, students are asked to
  submit a summary of what they feel to have been
  the most important points covered in the module.
• This exercise has three functions
• It helps students reinforce and synthesize the
  material covered,
• It provides the opportunity for students to get a
  multitude of perspectives on the module,
• It gives insight to the instructor to understand
  what parts of the course have been effective and
  what may need to be taught in more depth the next
  time.

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Module Reflections

• Questions asked
• What do you recall as the most important or
  useful points learned from this unit. Summarize
  those points so that they reflect the essence
  of your most significant learning of this unit.
• What unanswered question do you still have with
  regard to this units main topics.
• Found useful based on experience of online course
  by Dr. Susan Manning
• Applied for three modules as a bonus
• Very interesting and useful reflections given by
  students
• Will make this a requirement that will be given
  weight in next offering of the course

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Sample Module Reflection
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Play the Role of the Instructor

• Based on workshop by KFUPM faculty, students
  learning will improve by doing more than just
  listening.
• Experiment by asking 3 students to prepare and
  explain few slides from the lecture notes.
• Done on a voluntary basis and each participating
  student was given a 0.5 bonus.
• Done once but I think that it is a useful
  exercise and I am planning to try it further.

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Some of Students Comments
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Some of Students Comments
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Anonymous Evaluations

• Experimented on a seminar course (COE 390) on
  computing ethics and technical presentation
  skills.
• Each student writes a paper on computing ethics
  and presents his paper to the class.
• Students are required to assess each other's
  papers and presentations.
• From KFUPM workshop, learned about anonymous
  discussions.
• Students assess each other's papers through
  anonymous discussions.
• An interesting and useful experience as students
  can comment freely and evaluate their colleague's
  work.

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Sample Anonymous Evaluation
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Effective Communication

• Availability of instructor prompt feedback
  important in motivating students encouraging
  them to participate.
• Requires effective use of communication tools.
• Used email, discussion forums and calendar tool
• to keep students up to date with course
  activities
• to respond to their questions through the
  discussions.
• Utilized available communication tools to provide
  virtual office hours for students

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Student Survey

• Survey conducted to get students' input on
  experience of employed learning techniques.
• Consisted of five questions
• Q1. The discussion questions posted in WebCT were
  useful and enhanced my learning experience
• Q2. The availability and the prompt feedback from
  the instructor have motivated me to participate
  in the online discussions
• Q3. Module reflections are good in helping me
  reinforce the material covered
• Q4. Playing the role of the instructor is good
  for enhancing student learning experience
• Q5. Communication tools used in the course
  (email, calendar, discussion forums) are
  effective in keeping me up to date with course
  activities

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Survey Results (21 responses)
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Assessment of Experience

• All activities performed were useful and I will
  continue to employ them.
• Assign weight (5) for module reflections and
  online discussions so that all students
  participate.
• Once students achieve the required minimum
  weight, extra participation will be given as a
  bonus.
• Having students to play the role of the
  instructor is certainly a good idea and will
  experiment more with it

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Future Plan

• From three workshops, learned briefly a number of
  online learning tools that can enhance online
  learning.
• Experience gained not enough to allow one to take
  full advantage of these tools.
• Planning to master Centra tool and use it to hold
  help sessions, tutorials and in explaining some
  of the difficult concepts.
• Planning to better organize the discussions.