Let Students Make Mistakes and Learn!

Kannan Narayanamurthy

School of Computer Science and Information Technology, RMIT University

Date and time: 11.30am-12.30pm, Friday 27th February, 2004

Venue: 10.11.04

Chair: James Harland

Abstract:

Suggestions for teaching initiative: if students have a formal opportunity to make an attempt to use a concept for the first time (to a simple problem), primarily to get feedback, without fear of being penalised/graded they will learn better. They will develop more confidence in their ability to tackle complex problems independently when they graduate from the course. In other words, if students have had a chance, as a regular part of the course, to make mistakes but learn frmo the feedback without being 'penalised', they will be the better for it as they exit the course.

Issues involved in trying to implement the initiative:

• How to actually get the students to turn in work for feedback only?
• What volume of work to give each week?
• What level of feedback to give to students?
• How often? How much time should students spend on it?
• How to send the feedback?
• How to handle submissions?
• What about large class sizes?
• Who will need to spend more time and effort? How much time and effort?
• Can we have more support infrastructure from the school?
• Anything else?

Some observations on the learning process at RMIT, based on some personal experiences in trying to implement this in a course I taught at RMIT for two years.

About the speaker:

Seminars are free and open to the general public. No booking is necessary.

If you are interested in giving a presentation in this seminar series, or to make suggestions for speakers, please contact James Harland, the seminar co-ordinator.