Engagement in Foundational Computer Science Courses Through Supplementary Content for Algorithms

TL;DR

This paper explores using Jupyter notebooks based on Bloom's Taxonomy to enhance student engagement and understanding in introductory algorithms courses, aiming to motivate perseverance and reinforce foundational concepts.

Contribution

It introduces a novel series of Jupyter notebooks designed specifically to increase engagement and reinforce learning in foundational computer science courses.

Findings

Increased student engagement observed with notebook use

Improved understanding of algorithms concepts

Positive feedback from students on motivation

Abstract

Engaging students in teaching foundational Computer Science concepts is vital for the student's continual success in more advanced topics in the field. An idea of a series of Jupyter notebooks was conceived as a way of using Bloom's Taxonomy to reinforce concepts taught in an introductory algorithms class. The idea of the notebook is to keep the student's engaged in the lesson and in turn motivate them to persevere through the end of the course.