How to Better Teach Computer Networks to Freshman Engineers Post-Pandemic, A Case Study

Paper in proceeding, 2024

The landscape of higher education experienced a significant transformation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a swift shift from traditional in-class models to online formats. With the return of courses to on-campus delivery, educators now have a distinct opportunity to contemplate teaching methodologies. Our case study delves into the post-pandemic changes within an introductory and sizable networking course, specifically concentrating on optimizing computer network instruction for first-year engineering students. While prior research has explored lessons learned from the pandemic and the increased adoption of digital education, a notable gap exists in the literature concerning labs, particularly the transition from remote to physical content. The primary objective of the study is to guide a more balanced allocation of student learning time in the post-COVID era, aiming to minimize frustration by refining lab activities for equivalent learning outcomes. To enhance student comprehension of networking protocols, we implemented updates, capitalizing on the shift to campus education and employing three pedagogical approaches: Active Learning (AL), Practice Test/Spaced Practice (PT/SP), and Peer Instructions (PI). These updates were driven by three specific objectives: establishing new physical labs including collaboration between groups to foster PI and AL, conducting beneficial in-class exercises to facilitate live PI and enhance a PT/SP approach, and transitioning to in-class quizzes to evaluate AL between online and in-person lectures. Feedback collected through surveys, statistics from the learning management system, and quiz applications indicates that the updates successfully achieved their objectives. The study offers nuanced reflections and valuable insights into enhancing student understanding of networking protocols in the post-COVID era, emphasizing a balanced distribution of learning time and minimizing frustration associated with lab activities.