Dealing with Different Student Abilities:

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Dealing with Different Student Abilities
Thinking outside the Answer Box

• Mary Sanseverino
• UVic Dept of Computer Science
• June 10, 2003

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Overview

• Setting the scene
• large class, learning mission
• problems (abilities, resources)
• Strategy
• details
• Evaluation
• What worked, what didnt
• Pros / Cons of stepping out of the box.

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Setting the Scene

• Learning Goals
• overview Info Tech and Info Processing
• hands-on exercises
• build technical and evaluative skills
• Class Demographics
• approx. 350 students
• 70 in first year
• 60/40 male/female split
• up to 24 students in a lab

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Major problems

• Divergent skills and abilities.
• Programming module is most difficult of all.
• Experience helps and hinders
• Not enough one-on-one contact in lab sessions.
• Focus on Most Difficult Area
• How to deepen abilities of experienced students
  and bring beginners up to speed?

• Student Side
• Resource Side

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Strategy

• Get the students to do the work!
• Programming assignments too easy for experienced
  students
• Experienced students are not that experienced.
• Get them to teach / assist their peers.
• Addresses both student and resource issues.

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Strategy Details

• Identifying candidates
• Setting up lines of authority
• Keeping things fair
• Making sure correct information is passed on
• Evaluating the assisting students

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Strategy Details

• Identifying candidates
• Setting up lines of authority
• Keeping things fair
• Making sure correct information is passed on
• Evaluating the assisting students

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Strategy Details

• Identifying candidates
• Setting up lines of authority
• Keeping things fair
• Making sure correct information is passed on
• Evaluating the assisting students

9
Strategy Details

• Identifying candidates
• Setting up lines of authority
• Keeping things fair
• Making sure correct information is passed on
• Evaluating the assisting students

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Strategy Details

• Identifying candidates
• Setting up lines of authority
• Keeping things fair
• Making sure correct information is passed on
• Evaluating the assisting students

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Strategy Details

• Identifying candidates
• Setting up lines of authority
• Keeping things fair
• Making sure correct information is passed on
• Evaluating the assisting students

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Evaluation

• Help in class
• Deeper understanding
• New TAs
• Language / personality
• Responsibility issues
• TIME, TIME, TIME

• What Worked?
• What didnt Work?

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Pros and Cons of Leaving the Box

• Pros
• Cons

• can help meet learning goals
• responsive
• satisfying
• time intensive
• communication / co-ordination issues
• prerequisite issues / fairness issues

14
Conclusion

• Yes, but with more advanced prep.
• Add a component to see if peer-to-peer learning
  works.

• Would I do it again?
• What would I do differently?