Overview of Active Learning in Computing

Real education – is not something performed on someone, nor is it something one gets; it’s something one does for oneself.

A. Fabel, 'The Computer as a Convivial Tool' in Haret & Papert (Eds.) Constructionism, 1991

Provision of ALiC and Proposed Focus

Employers have frequently emphasised the need for the computing curriculum to better provide students with the requisite knowledge and skills for their employment: specifically the skills of team-working, communication, presentation, business know-how, project and time management and a wide knowledge of professional issues. ALiC will address these fundamental changes to the computing curriculum. Focusing on group- and project-work, it will ensure deep learning [Morton00] by enhancing the student learning experience through encouraging the more active engagement of its students. Through promoting active learning (AL), the curriculum will better support the needs of all its stakeholders: staff, students and employers.

Thus through project- and group-work ALiC aims to:

Aim 1

Increase levels of students engagement in the curriculum through the delivery of effective approaches, assessments and tools supporting AL techniques, thus ensuring that staff-student contact time is more efficient and effective

Aim 2

Better equip students for employment by enabling an active dialogue between all stakeholders, introducing a strong ‘real world’ perspective into the curriculum including multidisciplinary problem-solving

Aim 3

Drive the agendas of SET[Roberts02] and Boyer [Kenny98] to demonstrate how to better integrate research and teaching activities

Aim 4

Revolutionise the learning environment to embrace diversity and enable students to control the pace and style of their learning