Table 1: The number of students in each degree programme who responded affirmatively or negatively to the question about having access to a computer or laptop at home or school. Degree Yes – home Yes– school No – home No – school %-home % - school Civil Engineering Science 53 47 20 26 73% 64% Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science 48 49 16 15 75% 77% Mechanical Engineering Science 43 39 20 24 68% 62% Thirty-three students (17% of respondents) reported lacking access to a computer or laptop at home or school. This group included 13 Civil Engineering Science students (7% of the total cohort and 18% of Civil Engineering Science students), six Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science students (3% of the cohort and 9% of students in that discipline), and 14 Mechanical Engineering Science students (7% of the cohort and 22% of Mechanical Engineering Science students). Electrical Engineering students had the highest access rates, likely due to the need for computational skills in later modules. These findings suggest that prior exposure to computers in pre-university education may influence students’ choice of engineering discipline. Pedagogical Strategies for Teaching Programming to Large Undergraduate Cohorts: A SoTL Perspective In evaluating strategies for teaching computational and programming concepts to a large cohort of second-year students, we examined the effectiveness of active learning methods, such as peer instruction (Crouch & Mazur, 2001) and the flipped classroom (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). Active learning shifts the emphasis from passive knowledge absorption to active student engagement. Peer instruction, for example, involves presenting students with programming problems for small-group discussion, followed by class-wide sharing of their reasoning. This technique fosters deeper comprehension through peer dialogue and critical reflection. In the flipped classroom approach, traditional lectures are replaced by pre-recorded videos viewed outside of class, freeing in-class time for interactive exercises and problemsolving, thus facilitating more personalised instruction. To minimise the risks associated with new pedagogical strategies, we initially implemented peer instruction during tutorial sessions, where students discussed problems and received assistance from tutors as needed. The flipped classroom was utilised in lectures, with students expected to review lecture materials and videos beforehand. We introduced practical programming tasks during class, encouraging students to bring laptops for hands-on programming sessions. This approach aimed to promote collaboration, addressing the isolation often experienced in large programming classes; however, challenges arose due to inconsistent student participation and lack of laptop availability. We introduced practical programming tasks during class, encouraging students to bring laptops for hands-on programming sessions. This approach aimed to promote collaboration, addressing the isolation often experienced in large programming classes; however, challenges arose due to inconsistent student participation and lack of laptop availability. Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching Innovation Projects 2024 107
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1NDYx