A constructivist approach to communication skills instruction in computer science

Abstract

From the social constructivist perspective of education, learning is best achieved when students face complex, real world problems in which there are no clear answers. Faced with a sizable common goal, students work collaboratively towards outcomes and maintain ownership over key decisions. The role of staff is that of facilitators whose role is to challenge learners to explore multiple aspects of the problem as they go about reaching viable solutions. Such a role contrasts, for example, to an approach which sets out to lead students to a presumed correct solution that is already possessed by the instructor. Based on these principles we designed and implemented a course on communication skil..