Injecting rapid feedback and collaborative reasoning in teaching specifications

Abstract

We describe an approach to teaching formal interface specifications using aspects of the Collaborative Reasoning Paradigm. The module requires students to construct test cases independently and cooperatively based on their understanding of a given set of method specifications. Students are supported by software-based reasoning assistants that guide them through their exercises and provide realtime feedback as they work -both for the students and the instructor. We describe the design of the course module, the supporting reasoning assistant, and representative reasoning exercises. We conclude with a discussion of evaluation results from a recent pilot study conducted at Clemson University.

Engaging students in specification and reasoning

“…We have also built and applied a special reasoning tool [10] for experimenting with specification understanding.…”

“…The average across these students increased to 94.3%. Details of the tool for teaching formal specifications and its use in encouraging "collaborative reasoning" are reported in [10].…”