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Approaches to using technology to support learning in computer science and information systems subjects.

As a computer science department, we are used to teaching about technology. But how much do we teach using technology? Various colleagues have interesting ways of working with technology to support their teaching, so this workshop is a way to pool our good practice and find out what other staff are doing. For example,some people use wikis, blogs, podcasts and discussion boards as part of their teaching and assessment. It would be useful for people who are considering whether to use these approaches to know the circumstances under which these forms of technology work best, and any pitfalls to using them.

The idea is to develop a set of teaching patterns which teaching staff can use when planning classes.  You can read more about teaching patterns in computer science from the links below, but the general idea is to abstract and generalise examples of teaching which works well into a recipe which can be used again in other situations. As computer scientists, you'll love it! It's just like abstracting software engineering practice into software design patterns.

Students have also been invited to get their opinions about what forms of class work well, and give suggestions for styles of lessons which they would enjoy. Visitors from other computer science departments or education development units are very welcome. We'll go to the Edinburgh Business School restaurant on campus for lunch (pay your own way, alas) or you could bring sandwiches to eat in the department.

Where & When: Thursday Nov. 13, Earl Mountbatten Building Room 2.33, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Who: Staff and students of the HW Computer Science dept. Plus other computer science or educational technology staff from other local unis. This event is free.

Facilitators: Judy Robertson , Steven Warburton , Yishay Mor

Agenda

Backgroud & pre-workshop tasks

• Play the Eureka! game
• View the planet methodology tutorials.
• Read about Pedagogical patterns in Computer Science education.
• Submit a case story or a pattern.