A Different Pedagogical Approach to Teaching a Web Applications Course

This paper describes a different approach to teaching a web-applications course. Rather than lecturing, the instructor organizes material and serves as a guide as students work through them. Rather than emphasizing individual activity, the instructor encourages collaboration among all students in the class. Rather than forbidding students from sharing information and code with one another, the instructor rewards students who find and share interesting and novel approaches to solving a problem. Rather than requiring the students to take written tests, the instructor calls on students frequently to make impromptu oral presentations on the progress they have made in their projects. Some project ideas are suggested by the instructor, but most projects are envisioned, designed and developed by the students, subject to prespecified minimal requirements. We describe the process by which the class was taught and the results that were produced. We conclude with plans for improving the class in...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: IADIS
• Authors: Roy P. Pargas
• Keywords: IADIS 2004, IADIS 2008, Instructor Encourages Collaboration, Instructor Organizes Material, Instructor Rewards Students