Innovative Teaching-Learning using Crossword Puzzles

Abstract

It is important to introduce innovative teaching and learning methods to motivate students to develop thinking abilities and to motivate faculty to break monotonous lectures. There are multiple innovative teaching-learning methods, a few to name are crosswords puzzles, flipped classroom, mind map, Think share pair, one-minute paper, etc. This paper discusses the usage and impact of innovative teaching method, technical crossword puzzles. Simple puzzles on some specific topics are made using open source and trial softwares by giving the clues for the down and across. The crossword puzzle is given to a group of two students to solve within a time limit. Even though they need to focus and think a lot to solve a crossword, students also find it very interesting. They feel satisfied and accomplished if they can solve the whole puzzle correctly. From the faculty perspective designing a crossword by creating a set of questions with single-word answers that can be fitted into a crossword puzzle is a tedious task. Creating a puzzle by the faculty and solving the puzzle by a student is equally challenging and satisfying. Crosswords were created for multiple subjects like Systems Programming and OS, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Networking, etc. Feedback from the students is taken orally and in the written form which indicates that such innovative teaching-learning methods increase their focus, thinking ability, and interest in the subject and are fun. The feedback shows that 100% students enjoyed solving the puzzle. 92.7% students agreed that their thinking ability improved, 72.2% students say that they were able to recall the topics to solve the puzzle. 74.1% of students gave feedback that crossword puzzles can be a part of the evaluation system. 98.1% students also agreed that student interaction increased as they solved puzzles in a team.