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Peer Assessment Methodologies for a Laboratory-Based Course

Abstract

Advances in technology and the explosive growth of the Internet have called for new ways of learning environment. The content delivery is no longer the passive approach of lecture emanating from the teacher to the student. It is imperative that computer networking courses taught at the undergraduate level contain adequate hands-on implementation based projects and experiments in order to better train students. The computing curricula 2001 (CC2001) emphasizes this by stating that “students must ‘do science’ not just ‘read about science’”. The CC2001 also lays out the importance of working in teams and encourages the computer science programs to provide such opportunities early in the curriculum. The hardest part of the team-based projects is to find a procedure to evaluate the students individually when the outcome is a net result of the group work. In this paper we discuss the methodology that was used in assessing team- based projects for a computer networks course and report the feedback from students on the effectiveness of this approach.

Introduction

Computer networking is an area that has grown dramatically in the recent years and has been fueled by the Internet age. As a result computer communications has become a critical part of the global infrastructure. In Academia, a course in computer networks is widely taught as part of various Computer Science and Computer Engineering undergraduate and graduate curricula, as either an elective or a required course. The need for networking expertise with hands-on experience is addressed by the computing curricula 2001 (CC2001) 1, developed by the Joint IEEE Computer Society/ACM Task Force, that a net-centric computing is included as a key area in the Computer Science body of knowledge and that all programs include networking topics. The networking field has grown so vast and continues to mature that creative ways of introducing the content and engaging the students are needed to enhance the learning experience.

The traditional formal mode of lecture is thus no longer fulfilling the needs of teaching techniques. Innovative teaching methods, lab materials, and technologies that appeal students with a broad range of learning styles and background are needed 2. The pedagogy is changing to a more hands-on approach in a number of computer science courses. In recent years active learning strategies has received a lot of attention in implementing effective teaching techniques. Students tend to be more involved and motivated when they can see and feel the concepts they learn in class. They also seem to remember the cause and effects of the hands-on experiences longer than

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Rajaravivarma, R. (2006, June), Peer Assessment Methodologies For A Laboratory Based Course Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--810