Research on the Improvement of Participation of Students in Computer Network Teaching

www.iji-cs.org

International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 4, 2015 doi: 10.14355/ijics.2015.04.011

Research on the Improvement of Participation of Students in Computer Network Teaching Zheng Liu, Lan Yao, Yu Yao College of Information Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, China liuzheng@mail.neu.edu.cn Abstract According to the problem that the students accept knowledge passively in traditional Computer Network Teaching which leads to little initiative they have to study, so it is hard to grasp and apply the knowledge flexibly, it is discussed on the improvement of participation of students in teaching in this paper. A teaching method center on students is presented by which the interesting about independent learning will be aroused. It is beneficial for students to comprehend the knowledge and improve their abilities of analyzing and resolving problems and also the abilities of flexible using of the knowledge.

Keywords Participation in Class; Computer Network Teaching; Teaching Method

Introduction Along with the age of Internet of Things, cloud computing and Big Data coming, computer network has become the core infrastructure of such new information technology. As a required and specialized course, computer network course plays a more and more important role in the knowledge systems of computer professionals training. It is a course that practice is balanced with theory, and its core contents are the protocols in computer network architecture. In traditional teaching, the emphasis of the course is always the content of protocol which has too much theory and little practice. Teachers who introducing the knowledge points is the mainly teaching mode, results that students have few chances to practice because they can only listen without any interaction. Such teaching method leads to students lose interests about the course, and it is hard to get good teaching effect [1]. So, it is an important problem should be discussed in computer network teaching on how to improve the participation of students in teaching, how to lead them change their study method from passive accepted to active exploring, and how to train them to apply the theory knowledge to practice flexibly.

Classroom Teaching Teaching Method Combine Top-down with Down-top Down-top is a traditional method of computer network teaching. It starts from physical layer, which is the bottom of computer network architecture, and then goes up layer-by-layer until to application layer. This method is presented according to the history of computer network and meets the demands of earlier teaching. Many teaching material are also written by this way. Standardization of computer network architecture has been the research center in a long period since computer network appeared. People focused on the development of new network technologies at that time. But now along with the network technologies mature, the standard of technologies below transport layer has been stable and people pays more attention to the innovation in application layer. Compared to the rich application technologies, the syntax and semantics of protocols in each layer seem too dull. So the down-top teaching method makes students feel strong theoretical about the course but cannot understand and grasp the computer network as a whole.

Kurose and Ross presented a top-down method for studying computer network [2]. It is regarded as the taste of the new that using this method in computer network teaching. This method starts from application layer and then goes down layer-by-layer. Because the application layer is close to reality, knowledge will be absorbed by various applications in real network and students will be interested in exploring the problems of network working. The course will be carried out easier. But it needs students to have adequate basic knowledge and abilities as reserve

68

International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 4, 2015

www.iji-cs.org

and teachers should have stronger abilities on teaching and practicing if using this method. So it is not realistic that using top-down method in the whole teaching. Here we present a method combine down-top and top-down, by which the layers and protocols in the computer network architecture will be introduced by the order of down-top and, on the other hand, we take some real applications as example during the introduction of protocols by top-down such as browsing web or sending email. It will help students understand the contents and operating principle of lower layer protocols by understanding the working process of the real application. This method is good to arouse the students’ interests in the course, which can make students take the computer network as a whole and grasp the knowledge points easier.

Application of Flash Some knowledge points with complex work process such as sliding window, RIP protocol, etc. cannot be understood well if only be introduced by teacher orally. If the work process is described by flash, the abstract theory and algorithm will come to specific and be easy to understand by students. Furthermore, we can let students describe the algorithm or principle as graphics like flash themselves and display them in class after the knowledge studying so as to help them comprehend deeply and thoroughly. Such visualizing process is beneficial for students to understand and review.

Elicitation Method of Teaching Computer network course mainly introduces the operating principle and process that computer data transfer by transmission media. Most of the content is abstract theory which students feel obscure and hard to understand.

They usually don’t know why the problem be presented and why be resolved by such way, also, they still can’t comprehend these problems deeply even use the knowledge into reality flexibly after class. After the study it is found that many principles and processes of data transmission in computer network are just similar to some events in reality. If we use analogy to explain the algorithm or principle by reality event, it will lead students to discover the problems appearing during the event development and to explore the solutions actively, then they can understand the principle or algorithm easily and deeply.

For example, when ARP protocol is explained, we can describe a scene as follows: someone A accepts a task to find another people B and gives him a ticket in a classroom. But A doesn’t know B and only knows his name. Now what should A do? Usually students are interested in such problems, and propose the solution as follows: Firstly, A asks “who is B” loudly in classroom, and B replies. Then A finds B and gives him the ticket. In this event, A and B are compared to two computers, their names are the IP addresses of the two computers, and the ticket is the data for transferred. Classroom is compared to LAN and the process is compared to data transmission using ARP. Here the MAC addresses present the two persons. A asks for B’s name just like ARP using broadcast to send request message and the replying of B like the response message.

Task Driving Teachers play principal roles in traditional teaching and students get knowledge passively under the guide of teachers. The students seldom think due to the deficiency of initiative during studying. In order to improve the participation of students in studying and train their abilities of self-learning and analyzing and resolving problems, the principal role in teaching should be changed from teachers to students. Task driving method is an effective approach. Design corresponding tasks according to the course content and assign them to students who are full of enthusiasm to complete the task driven by interests. In this mode, students will complete their study tasks by self-exploring and communication and cooperation with each other [3].

Task driving method is a kind of teaching method based on the theory of constructivism [4]. The main idea of this method is that tasks are the principal line, teachers are guides and students are principal parts in teaching. All the teaching content is contained in tasks, and along with the completing of the tasks, students achieve the constructivism by analyzing and resolving problems. Meanwhile, it helps students adjust their thinking, enrich their points, and improve their abilities of self-thinking, analyzing and resolving problems that they communicate with teachers of other partners continually.

Task design is the key point in the process of teaching by using task driving method. Firstly, the maneuverability of

69

www.iji-cs.org

International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 4, 2015

the task should be considered. We can divide the task into several levels from easy to difficult, and guide the students completing the easier task first in order to increase their self-confidence. Then assign them more difficult tasks gradually to arouse their curiosity. Secondly, the tasks should come from reality so that the students find these problems are just what they will meet in their real life. Thirdly, the tasks should be resolved by a group but not a single which is good to train the students have strong teamwork.

Experimental Teaching Setting of Experiment Content Computer network is a course combining theory with practice, so experimental teaching is necessary. The students’ abilities of technological innovation and engineering practice will be trained well by experimental teaching. The students will have stronger participation that helps them comprehend the knowledge thoroughly by attending the experiments suitable set [5].

The setting of experiments is synchronized with theory teaching. Some topics that students can work alone about verification or experience will be arranged in the early stage. For example, we can arrange an experiment about making typical transmission media such as twisted pair while the transmission media in physical layer is taught.

Each student should make a twisted pair, then connect computers or other network device using it. All the tasks should be completed alone. The students will grasp 586B and 586A, two standards for making twisted pair, and their application. After the network devices like switch and router are explained in theory teaching, we will give the students a chance to use the real devices in lab. By setting and programming on the device, the students can verify the setting method and commands learned from class.

When the students obtain certain theory knowledge, we can guide them to attempt some applied experiments with higher degree of difficulties, such as basic setting and management for VLAN, design of VLAN crossing switch, routing in VLAN, etc. The aim of such experimental teaching is to improve the students’ abilities of applying the knowledge.

In the end of the course, the students have grasp the whole computer network architecture, so it is time to arrange some integrated experiments such as designing and building a small campus network. There is a simulation scene in the topic, according to which the students should design a network using the given IP address and network devices. They will be demanded to draw the network topology and give the allocation of IP address, then realize the design on actual devices. The students’ abilities of analyzing and resolving problem are trained and the abilities of comprehensive application are improved by completing the experiment. Furthermore, such experiment is a group work, in which the student’s communicational ability and team work are promoted.

Experience in Experiment It is an important measure of training the students with their comprehensive application and actual practice that taking experimental teaching. The students are encouraged to think hard and explore solution of the problem met during experimenting themselves. What we can do is just to suggest them some solving ideas as teacher. In the integrated experiment worked by a group, teacher assigns a leader of each team who is responsible for allocating the tasks to the group members, harmonizing the task process status, organizing discussion on problem and completing the topic in the end. Group work will help students understand their knowledge clearly, find their suitable position in team and play their expertise.

Conclusions The participation of students in computer network teaching directly determines their interests and whether can comprehend the knowledge well. Compared with traditional teaching method in which students just listen to the teacher, guiding students participate in class through proposing problems from reality, explaining knowledge points by analogy and practicing the theory in actual circumstance can gain better teaching effect. No matter classroom teaching or experimental teaching, the students are always the main body to improve their abilities of self-learning, analyzing and resolving problems.

70

International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 4, 2015

www.iji-cs.org

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This work was supported by the trial major of undergraduate engineering talents training mode reform in regular institutions of higher education of Liaoning Province.

REFERENCES

[1]

YANG Songbo, ZHANG Xuedong, etc. Teaching Reform of Computer Network Course [J]. Journal of Anshan University of Science and Technology, Vol. 36(3), pp.281-283, 2013.

[2]

J.F.Kurose, K.W.Ross. Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet [M]. USA: Addison Wesley, 2005.

[3]

LIU Wei. On Issues of Discussion Teaching Method [J]. Journal of Changchun University, Vol. 24 (02), pp.274-277, 2014.

[4]

W.Gao, B.Y. Xu, K.L. Cheng. Constructivism in Education [M]. Shanghai: Press of ECNU, 2003.

[5]

Zhu Xiaojing, Lin Yuanguai. Reform and Practice of Computer Network Experiment Teaching Based on the Multi-dimensional Interaction Model [J]. China Science and Technology Information, 2012(24), pp.190-191.

71