working on solving problems in collaborative groups
to reflect the social nature of learning.
This approach requires a shift in the roles of both
students and faculty. The student becomes a
cognitive apprentice, exploring and learning about
the problem in the presence of peers. Faculty shifts
from being the ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘guide on
the side’ (possibly, in the extreme, the ‘fount of all
knowledge’), becoming a facilitator who assists
students in developing an understanding of the
professional practice of database analysis and
design.
The paper presents some preliminary results of
this work that shows the approach can be used
successfully. The preliminary qualitative findings
show that students and faculty reacted extremely
positively to the approach and found it more
motivating and engaging than the more traditional
case study approach. However, both students and
faculty found the workload higher than with more
traditional teaching methods and that scalability was
an issue. Faculty also felt that this approach required
mature learners and may not be entirely appropriate
for first and second year undergraduates.
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