Supporting Active Learning Using an Interactive Teaching Tool in a Data Structures and Algorithms Course

• Traditionally, theoretical foundations in data structuresand algorithms (DSA) courses have been covered throughlectures followed by tutorials, where students practise theirunderstanding on pen-and-paper tasks. In this paper, we presentfindings from a pilot study on using the interactive e-bookOpenDSA as the main material in a DSA course. The goal was toredesign an already existing course by building on active learningand continuous examination through the use of OpenDSA. Inaddition to presenting the study setting, we describe findings fromfour data sources: final exam, OpenDSA log data, pre- and postcourse questionnaires as well as an observation study. The resultsindicate that students performed better on the exam than duringprevious years. Students preferred OpenDSA over traditionaltextbooks and worked actively with the material, although alarge proportion of them put off the work until the due dateapproaches.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)