USING A VARIETY OF TECHNOLOGIES TO TEACH COMPUTER HARDWARE

It is difficult, if not impossible, to teach current computing students about the computer hardware of the future. The only feasible solution is to teach them and make sure that they understand the fundamentals and provide them with the skills they will need to learn about new developments so that they will be prepared for future developments. This paper reports on how a variety of computing technologies were used to teach an introductory module on computer hardware to first year Enterprise Computing students. The students are IT students, rather than computer science students. The module was delivered in the first semester of first year and no prior computing knowledge is assumed. A mixture of traditional lectures, practical labs, web quests, quizzes, basic programming and Raspberry Pi computers were used to make the students aware of, and comfortable with, computer hardware. A Learning Management System was used to help deliver the module. The level of engagement was high, the students achieved the learning goals and the levels of satisfaction were good. One of the problems in previous years of the course has been the delay in providing feedback to the students. The use of technology has helped reduced this problem. Successive iterations of the course should, in theory, become easier, but experience has shown that the course, both contents and delivery has to be modified each year. This multi-faceted approach demands more time and effort than the standard approach, but the outcomes make it worthwhile.