Gateway Labs for a Problem Solving Course

我们声称，缺乏动手能力的实验室使教科书在许多方面都过时了。对于那些在很大程度上依赖于实施或“如何”的主题，或涉及材料的纯粹代表性方面的主题，情况尤其如此。这些材料最好在小的交互模块中呈现，我们称之为网关实验。之所以使用Gateway这个名字，部分是因为这些实验共享开放实验和封闭实验的一些属性：它们是开放的，因为学生独立作业，但任务包括封闭式介绍，这可能比两种更常见的形式之一-开放实验或封闭实验-要短得多。我们声称，学生应该通过与Gateway实验室的直接动手互动来获得大部分的“如何”指导。因此，讲座、课文和传统的实验可以专注于课程中更具智能性的方面，例如解决问题。我们认为，网关应作为一套协调一致的工具来实施，作为使用特定软件工具的主要教学手段。门户实验将定期和频繁地布置，就像目前大多数课程采用阅读作业一样。我们预计门户实验室的数量与讲座的数量大致相同。因此，一门完整的课程将包含30到40个具体模块。目前，我们在非专业的初级课程CSC 104：用计算机解决问题的课程中加入了几个门户实验室，这是一门解决问题的课程，在这门课程中，计算机工具的实际使用从属于通用的问题解决技术。虽然我们的重点是解决问题，但学生必须有使用特定工具的经验。这样的经验最好是通过实验室获得，但我们希望使用我们的传统形式的实验室来解决问题。

We claim that short hands-on laboratories make text books obsolete for many purposes. This is particularly true for those topics which are largely implementation-dependent or "how to" topics, or deal with purely representational aspects of material. This material is better presented in small interactive modules, which we call gateway labs. The name gateway was used in part because these labs share some of the properties of both open and closed labs: they are open because the student works independently, but the tasks comprise closed- end introductions, which can be much shorter than either of the two more common formats, open or closed labs. We claim students should receive the bulk of their "how to" instruction through direct hands-on interaction with gateway labs. The lectures, the text, and the traditional labs can, thus, be devoted to the more intellectual aspects of the course, such as problem solving. We believe gateways should be implemented as a coordinated set of as the principal means of instruction in the use of specific software tools. Gateway labs will be assigned regularly and frequently, just as most courses currently employ reading assignments. We expect roughly as many gateway labs as there are lectures. Thus, a full course will incorporate 30 to 40 specific modules. We presently incorporate several gateway labs in our primary course for non-majors, CSc 104: problem solving with computers, a problem-solving course, in which the actual use of computer tools is subordinate to the generalized problem-solving techniques. Although we focus on problem solving, students must still have experience in the use of specific tools. Such experience is best gained through laboratories, but we want to use our traditional-format labs for problem-solving experiences.