Peer-learning activity for communicating algorithms in a Level 2 computer science module

Project leader(s): Ravi Rajani
Theme: Other
Faculty: STEM
Status: Archived
Dates: May 2023 to July 2024

Peer learning is widely believed to address essential transferable skills such as teamworking, communication, and critical enquiry, that are not easily pursued by other means (Topping, 1998; Boud, Cohen and Sampson, 1999). The level 2 Open University (OU) computing module M269 Algorithms, Data Structures and Computability has the following “key skill” listed as one of its learning outcomes:

Explain how an algorithm or data structure works, in order to communicate with relevant stakeholders (Open University, 2023).

This professional skill is well suited for development in a peer-learning context.

Although many computing and other STEM modules at the OU have now incorporated a peer-learning activity in their assessment schedules, this is not the case with M269. The goal of this project is to fill this gap. To this end, we develop a collaborative algorithm activity that follows the structure of a successful peer activity that forms part of each Tutor-Marked Assignment (TMA) of the level 3 module TM354 Software Engineering.

A trial of the activity was run with eight student volunteers from the M269 cohort over the course of three weeks after which a survey was conducted to gauge student perceptions. Some of the free text survey responses were followed up with email questions to delve further into the answers given. Three members of the project team – who are all tutors at the OU – analysed the student outputs and survey responses and then met to discuss their perceptions of the activity.

The quality of the peer feedback was very high with all participants making good contributions and most improving their algorithms based on comments received. The survey responses were largely positive indicating that students enjoyed the experience and found it valuable. Some minor suggestions for improvements to the activity were made by students as well as tutors.

It should be noted that, despite the small number of participants, our sample had a comparable demographic distribution to the full M269 cohort, although inevitably some groups were not represented. Also, no statistical analysis (such as testing for an effect in TMA scores) was conducted since no significant inferences would be possible with such a small sample. However, the activity’s design is based on a tried and trusted template that is successfully employed in multiple other modules at the OU (Thomas et al., 2018). Therefore, we do not see any reason why it would not generalise well to the whole M269 student population and can recommend that the activity is adopted in future M269 assessments. A set of guidelines for implementing the activity are included in this report.