Mixed nuts: atypical classroom techniques for computer science courses

Abstract

22 Summer 2008/ Vol. 14, No. 4 www.acm.org/crossroads Crossroads Introduction AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Didn’t expect that, did you? Neither did Steve Wolfman’s class when he let loose a bloodcurdling scream on the first day. His goal was to demonstrate the strength of community and pooled resources. This point was clearly illustrated when he asked the entire lecture hall of two hundred students to scream at the top of their lungs. Why? He was using an atypical teaching technique to get the attention of the students and keep them interested. Students do not always learn all that the instructor is trying to get across a lecture. In fact, it is likely that even students who can get the most out of a lecture grow restless and might be more involved in class if it were taught with a twist. In order to capture the interest of students more effectively, instructors could use atypical classroom techniques. Moreover, unlike lecturing and giving homework, these unorthodox techniques can also keep students attentive and target preferred learning styles. This article presents some experimental and anecdotal evidence to support the theory that the use of these techniques improves students’ learning in an introductory Computer Science (CS) class.