Effective Teaching Strategies for Large Classes: A Case Study in Software Architecture Education

In this talk, we discuss how faculty in charge of a Software Architecture course (3rd year subject of a Software Engineering program) faced an unprecedented increase in enrollment figures, doubling previous numbers to reach over a hundred.

They had to adapt their teaching methodologies to this situation, and thus deployed a strategy of early involvement using a gamified programming learning platform during the first weeks of the semester, together with personal learning contracts during the whole duration of the course.

The course had a record success rate of 92%, versus an average of 71% in previous years, but some aspects demand redesign for future versions.

This talk was granted the best presentation award at ICETC'24.

1. Effective Teaching Strategies for
Large Classes
A Case Study in
Software Architecture Education
Laura M. Castro, Mauricio Hidalgo, Hernán Astudillo

2. The road ahead this talk
Two strongholds to prevent dropout and failure
Academic context of our tale
Enrollment success jeopardizes the course journey
The moral of our cautionary tale to take home
01
03
02
04
Once upon a time...
The attack of the large numbers
The defense of the two towers
And they passed! Happily ever after?

3. Once upon a time...
01
Academic context of our tale

4. Software Architecture at
University of A Coruña (Spain)

5. Software Architecture at
University of A Coruña (Spain)

6. Software Architecture at
University of A Coruña (Spain)
First taught 2012/2013
6 ETCS credits
Compulsory for Software Engineers
Eligible for Computer Scientists

7. Concept of Software Architecture
Reference Architectures
Learning
objectives
Components design & integration
Traceability & integration testing

8. Teaching and Grading
Final test
Personal work
Supervised
tasks
Lectures
Lab sessions
Individual
assignments
Group
assignment

9. Teaching and Grading
Final test
Personal work
Supervised
tasks
Lectures
Lab sessions
Individual
assignments
Group
assignment

10. Teaching and Grading
Final test
Personal work
Supervised
tasks
Lectures
Lab sessions
Individual
assignments
Group
assignment

11. Howitwasgoing
AS coursesuccessrate

12. Howitwasgoing
AS coursesuccessrate
num. ofpassingstudents
num. ofenrolledstudents

13. The attack of the large numbers
02
Enrollment success jeopardizes the course journey

14. Unexpectedly... a steepslope
AS courseenrollmentnumbers

15. Unexpectedly... a steepslope
AS courseenrollmentnumbers
sameteaching
staff!

16. The defense of the two towers
Two strongholds to prevent dropout and failure
03

17. Educational contingency plan
Choose-your-own-tasks
4x number of available tasks
Increased teaching offer, equal learning demand
Reappearance of similar tasks
Flexibility, adaptability to students preferences
and/or personal workload
Gamified platform (Exercism)
Individual exercises, increasing difficulty
Clear, well-structured syllabus
Automated tests and early feedback
Personal, private mentoring, priority to students
keeping up with the suggested schedule
Early engagement Personal learning contract

18. Howitturnedout
AS coursesuccessrate

19. Indetail: gamificationisa win-win
Impactofearlyengagementstrategy

20. Indetail: aself-chosenmenutastesbetter
Impactofadaptedlearningcontract
strategy

21. And they passed!
... happily ever after?
The moral of our cautionary tale to take home
04

22. Worked like a charm...
Students worked early rather than late
Tendency to avoid some tasks (i.e. C4 modelling)
Very high ratio of weekly exercise completion
>50 exercises in 1st course month
Students perceive high ROI
Almost all group max grade
Num. of early dropouts diminished significantly
Early engagement Personal learning contract

23. Beware of...
Chronological order matters
Minimal requirements per task type
Very demanding for faculty
Early engagement Personal learning contract

24. Slidesgo
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Thanks!
Any questions?
Laura M. Castro
[email protected]