Managing a large tertiary computer science class

Abstract

The organisation of a tertiary module shows prevalent problems when the size of the class increases. We present problems associated with large classes and investigate a number of proposed solutions. An attempt was made to address these difficulties in a presentation of a first-year module introducing programming with yearly student enrolment of approximately 500. We report on the different aspects of managing a large Computer Science class. The focus of the paper is on the infrastructure put in place to handle this large enrolment at a residential institution. The impact of the efforts and attempted solutions has been observed over the past three years. It was evaluated using statistical methods to detect relationships between broad behaviours. Qualitative evaluation of student feedback and other observations are used to illustrate how the students experienced the course. The outcome can be used as guideline when planning similar courses to avoid some pitfalls that have been identified through this experience and consider the aspects we found useful.