Course Level
CS0
CS1
Knowledge Unit
Other
Collection Item Type
Lab
Other Material Type
Synopsis

This is a team-based classroom activity designed for Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). Teams of 3-4 students work together to learn about how data moves on the internet by comparing it to vehicles on a highway system. The also explore the concept of Net Neutrality. This is part two of a three-part series of POGIL exercises on the Internet. Click to review the preceding (Internet I) and and subsequent (Internet III) assignments.

The attached files are the student versions of Internet II. Please contact the author (Clif Kussmaul, clif@kussmaul.org) for teacher versions with solutions and additional information. Also see instructor information in the activity.

Recommendations

While students are working, you should circulate around the room, observe whether students follow their assigned POGIL roles, listen to how students discuss and think, and answer any questions they may have. You'll learn a lot about misconceptions and you'll get to know individual students better. This personal interaction with the instructor can be a powerful way to encourage persistence in computing.

For more info on how to implement a POGIL activity, check out Clif and Helen Hu's POGIL "Teaching Paper" in this collection. Also, please go to the CS-POGIL website and community (http://cspogil.org). For general info on POGIL, see The POGIL Project (https://pogil.org/). Also, consider attending a 1/2-day or 1-day POGIL workshop or a 3-day POGIL Summer Regional Workshop to learn more about how to effectively facilitate a POGIL classroom and develop effective POGIL activities.

Engagement Highlights

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) is a form of collaborative learning. When well-structured, as it is in POGIL, collaborative learning can help build inclusive student community. Although students work together in groups in the class, the instructor is not passive. They should circulate through the room, observe group processes, look for misunderstandings and places where students are stuck, offer encouragement, and pose questions to help students progress. These more direct interactions with faculty can help build student confidence and professional identity.

Computer Science Details

Programming Language
None

Material Format and Licensing Information

Creative Commons License
CC BY-NC-SA