Enhancing the quality of learning and understanding of first-year mathematics for computer science related majors

Most courses on Discrete Mathematics are designed to emphasize problem solving, in general. When the goal is to cover the content, the learning and understanding takes a second place. Over time, the students' understanding will have large gaps of knowledge that leads to non-enjoyment of the course and a great deal of anxiety. Given the choice, most first year students would not do the Discrete Mathematics course. It is not an easy course to teach because of the opposing expectations of the instructor and students. However, as instructors, we all share a common goal: we would like our students to acquire the skills to perform complex mental operations so that they will be successful in the classroom as well as their future careers. In this paper, we present a way to enhance the learning and understanding of Discrete Mathematics whether it is offered in a distance learning mode or a traditional classroom situation.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: SIGCSE
• Authors: Francis Suraweera
• Keywords: Discrete Mathematics, Discrete Mathematics Course, Education, Most Courses, SIGCSE 2002