Abstract:

Software and systems development is a multifaceted skill that defies simple definition. It can be considered an engineering art, albeit a very young one, where it's about creating and following clear methods for software and IT-system development. It can also be seen as an art form, impossible to reduce to concrete rules, where the creativity, knowledge, and intuition of the developer guide the process. Additionally, today's software development involves many different stakeholders and work often occurs in projects, often agile ones, which also places high demands on collaboration and social skills of the practitioners.

With this in mind, in our course in Object-Oriented Systems Development and Systems Integration, our approach was to transcend traditional assessment methods. Rather than focusing solely on programming patterns and isolated systems development, we introduced novel examination formats. Specifically, we replaced some individual tasks with a day-long creative seminar and a preparatory writing assignment.

The writing assignment involved students preparing in advance for the questions that would be raised during the seminar. This could involve explaining various systems development methods, demonstrating familiarity with visualizing system design, and explaining how systems today can be integrated through cloud-based techniques. Students were allowed to bring their notes to the seminar.

The creative seminar was designed to be an innovative and engaging task that integrated principles from:
1) relationship-based pedagogy,
2) experiential learning, and
3) kinesthetic learning.

By applying relationship-based pedagogy, the seminar aimed to create a favorable learning environment where interaction and relationships between students and teachers were fostered. By exploring real problems and situations, the seminar creates a meaningful learning experience that goes beyond theoretical concepts and promotes deeper understanding; the seminar format promotes collaboration and dialogue, stimulating knowledge exchange. Experiential learning was a central component of the creative seminar, where students were encouraged to practically apply their theoretical knowledge from the course and the preparatory writing assignment by developing collages. Students had whiteboards, paper, colored pens, Magic-Charts, and free access to all kinds of craft materials to assist them. Our primary learning technique therefore became kinesthetic learning, which emphasizes bodily movement and practical exercises. This method allows for physical interaction and creates memory anchors, increasing students' retention and engagement by physically working with their hands to create and co-create in interaction with others. This in turn acts as a tool that feeds relation-based learning. Formal evaluation and feedback from students affirmed the success of this setup.

Another effect of the creative seminar was that we could achieve a more fair and just assessment of students' performances. By allowing for different learning styles and providing space for creativity, an assessment process was created that recognizes and values the diversity of students' competencies.

In summary, through our creative seminar, we found a successful examination format that suited the creative, knowledge-based, and intuitive nature of systems development, while also providing ample opportunity for students to practice collaboration and social skills.

Keywords:

Experiential Learning, kinesthetic learning, relationship-based pedagogy, creativity, assessment.