An evaluation of teaching theoretical graduate engineering courses adapting different techniques

Abstract

Graduate programs in engineering have theoretical courses like Software Engineering, Information Systems, Advanced Software Engineering, Software Architecture, Management and Entrepreneurship as part of the curriculum. These courses are challenging from both the students' and the instructors' points of view. From student feedback it has been seen that they view these subjects uninteresting due to a lack of practical component. The instructor's responsibility increases in making such theoretical subjects interesting for the students. These courses impart certain unique skills which the students need to apply in their professional careers. But the Lecture method which is still the most practiced and preferred one does not provide for active student involvement. To combat this problem a variety of teaching modes have been developed from different learning theories. Several of these techniques are in use in Post-graduate courses and corporate training courses where the number of participants is less. The author has tried some of these techniques like story-telling or case study approach, involved assignment and group correction, reverse knowledge transfer, i.e. teaching by students, etc. while teaching Information Systems for two sections of undergraduate students and has found reasonable success. This paper describes the techniques used by the author, the methodology, the implementation and the results thereof. Attempt has been made using quizzes/tests to draw conclusions about the viability and applicability of these innovative techniques in classes where the number of students is more than fifty.