Can we improve teaching in computer science by looking at how English Is Taugh?

Abstract

A number of recent survey results indicate that students in the humanities enjoy their subjects more than students in mathematics and sciences. Current educational theory, and common sense, suggests that the degree to which a student enjoys a subject affects their motivation to learn, and that students who are motivated to learn because they like their subject are more likely to achieve positive learning outcomes. Why then are humanities students happier with their subjects? Is it the students? The teaching? Or is it due to fundamental differences in the nature of the knowledge in the subjects? In this paper I consider the second factor: differences in teaching methods. I compare the manner in which one humanities subject, english, is taught with the way that science and mathematics are generally taught. I then report on the results of a teaching experiment where english-based teaching methods were used in a large first year computer science subject. The experiment seemed quite successful which suggests that some of the teaching techniques used in disciplines such as the humanities might be of general usefulness to other computer science teachers.