Survey Results

Setting CS3114 during Fall, 2011 VT Lecture-based class Students had recently spent one week using our hashing tutorial in a “lab” (in-class) setting I briefly described the OpenDSA vision prior to giving the survey

Survey and Raw Results Survey at: kSurvey.docx) kSurvey.docx Raw results at: Survey.xlsx Survey.xlsx

AVs and the Hashing Tutorial Q1: 4.16 Stronger than "somewhat" favorable to the algorithm visualizations used in class. Q2: 3.47 Weakly favoring the belief that the online Hashing Tutorial taught more than equivalent lecture would have done. [You might be interested to know that we did comparative testing for two semesters, with one section taking the tutorial and the other receiving lecture. Both semesters, the tutorial section did better on the quiz (equivalent to questions 1-7 on the second midterm), with the difference (slightly) significant.] Q3: 3.42 Indicating a weak preference for doing the tutorial in class vs. hearing a lecture on the material in class. Q4: 3.13 indicating pretty much neutral opinion on the issue of doing the tutorial in a class setting vs. doing it outside of class.

Electronic vs. Paper textbooks Q6: Only a couple of people report having bought a paper copy. Q7: 3.47 Indicating some slight preference for an electronic copy.

Interactive Textbooks Q8: 4.37 Indicating fairly strong interest in the idea that I presented of an online, interactive textbook something like the hashing tutorial with lots of practice exercises included. Q9: 3.36 indicating weak preference for a "lab- based" course centered around such an online textbook vs. a standard lecture course. The comments indicate that a lot of students would best like a mixed approach that combined the online interactive textbook with some amount of lecturing/review of the material in a classroom.

Recurring Pedagogical Issues

Intrinsic Value of Various Media Is (for example) video intrinsically better than text? Animation vs. images? Related to the “No Significant Difference” controversy What do you think of Khan Academy videos?

Role of Interactivity and Engagement Does interactivity trump media? – Of course, there is no reason why these two issue need to conflict.

Learning Styles What are learning styles? Do they actually exist? – That is, are students really different? – What does that mean?

Principles vs. Examples Does one present the principle first then bring in examples, or teach some examples then introduce a principle to connect them? Bottom up vs. Top down Myers-Briggs: Intuition vs. Sensing

Role of Courseware in Classes Lecture vs. Lab Instructors vs. Intelligent Tutors In-class lab vs. distance learning – Does coming to class to do the lessons matter vs. doing them at home?