IJERT Volume 5 [4] 2014 62 | P a g e © 2014 Society of Education, India

TPS(Think-Pair-Share) : An Active Learning Strategy to Teach Theory of Computation Course

Sunita M. Dol

CSEDepartmentWalchandInstituteofTechnology,Solapur,IndiaEmail:sunita_aher@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

TPS (Think-Pair-Share) which is a cooperative learning strategy where students think about their responses for a problem given by instructor then discuss their individual solutions in pairs and share those solutions with the class. As Theory of Computation is the core course of Computer Science and Engineering and the base for many courses like System Programming, Compiler Construction etc., so this TPS activity is considered for this course to improve students’ conceptual understanding about the course. In this paper, one group Pre-Test Post-Test model is considered. Experimental results and student’s perception about this activity are also presented. Keywords- Think-Pair-Share(TPS), Theory of Computation, t-Test, Likert’s Scale. Received 12.09.2014 Revised 29.11. 2014 Accepted 18.11.2014

How to cite this article: Sunita M. Dol.TPS(Think-Pair-Share) : An Active Learning Strategy to Teach Theory ofComputationCourse.Inter.J.Edu.Res.Technol.5[4]2014;62-67.DOI:10.15515/ijert.0976-4089.5.4.6267

INTRODUCTION TheoryofComputation is thecorecourseofComputerScienceandEngineeringand thebase formanycourses like System Programming, Compiler Construction etc. So it is necessary to clear the concept ofthis course. Also this course is important as far as GATE examination is concerned. This course isimportantformodelingdifferentkindsofhardwareandsoftware.AsTheoryofComputationisthecourseof Second year of Computer Science and Engineering/Information Technology, so students need activelearning technique in addition to the blackboard teaching. Teaching and learning this subject is achallenging task. This subject is difficult to understand from student point of view. TPS which iscooperativelearningstrategyhasbeenrecommendedforitsbenefitsofallowingstudentstoexpresstheirreasoning,reflectontheirthinking,andobtainimmediatefeedbackontheirunderstanding[6],[7].Hencethe TPS activity is considered to teach the Theory of Computation Course. So the research question is“whether the use of TPS activity in class helps the students to improve the conceptual understandingaboutthecourse”.Tofindtheanswertothisresearchquestion,onegrouppre-testpost-testexperimentalstudyalongwithfeedbackwascarriedout.Resultsshowedthatthisactivityisusefulforthiscourse.Alsofeedback states that students agreed that think-pair-share activity developed interest in them to learn,thinkingabouttheproblemandwritingthesolutionduringthethinkphasehelpedthemlearnconceptsmorepreciselyanddiscussingthesolutionwiththepartnerduringthepairphasehelpedstudentslearnconceptsmoreclearly.Also100%studentsagreedthattheyfoundtheThink-Pair-Shareactivityeffective.

RELATED WORK There are many software tools to teach this course [4],[5]. In addition to this Mukta Goyal, ShellySachdeva in “Enhancing Theory of Computation Teaching through Integration with other Courses” [1]aimed towards introducing different approaches for making the course interactive and realistic byintegratingitwithothercourseslearntinprevioussemestersandcurrentsemesterofengineering.CarlosI. Ches˜nevar et al. in “Didactic Strategies for Promoting Significant Learning in Formal Languages andAutomata Theory” [2] introduced a number of didactic strategies based on a constructivist approach.Carlos Iv´an Ches˜nevar et al. in “Teaching Fundamentals of Computing Theory: A ConstructivistApproach” [3] were proposed a strategies based on a stronger use of technology and a constructivistapproach.

International Journal of Educational Research and Technology P-ISSN0976-4089;E-ISSN2277-1557IJERT:Volume5[4]December2014:62-67

©AllRightsReservedSocietyofEducation,IndiaISO9001:2008CertifiedOrganizationWebsite:www.soeagra.com/ijert.htmlOriginal Article

IJERT Volume 5[4] 2014

METHODOLOGY Theobjectivesofthisstudywere: Tocleartheconceptsaboutfiniteautomata,regularexpressionetc. Toimprovetheperformanceofstudentsinthiscourse. To make easy the concepts like converting one form of machine to another, converting regular

expressiontoNFA,convertinggrammartonormalformsetc.To test the effectiveness of TPS activity, one group Preconsidered is Theory of Computation which is Second Year Computer Science and Engineering Course.Simplified forms and normal forms is the topic considered from this course for this activity. Firstinstructortaughtthistopicbytraditionalteachingmethodthatisblackboardteachingmethodtotheclass.Inthistopic,subtopicscoveredwereeliminatingunitproductionthegivencontextfreegrammar,freegrammarand finallyconverting thegivencontext freegrammar toChomskyNormalForm.Precoveringthesesubtopics wasconducted for25marks. Afterconducting thepreactivity in the classroom. For TPS activity, the problem statement was to convert the given context freegrammartoChomskyNormalformwhichconsistoffollowingsteps:Step1:Eliminatenullproductionsfromgivencontextfreegrammarifany.Step2:Eliminateunitproductionsfromgivencontextfreegrammarifany.Step3:Eliminateuselessvariablefromtheproductionsofgivencontextfreegrammarifany.Step4:ConvertthecontextfreegrammartoChomskyNormalForm.TPSactivityforconvertingthegivencontextfreegrammartoChomskyNormalformconsistofThink: In think phase of TPS activity, instructor asked the question to students to eliminate nullproductions,unitproductionsanduselessvariableifanyfromPair:Inpairphase,eachstudentwasaskedtopairwiththepartner,sharedtheirthinkingwitheachotherandproceedswiththetask.Instructoraskedthequestionrelatedthe students’ understanding of the topic. The students were asked to convert the grammar obtained in‘Think’phasetoChomskyNormalform.Share:Insharephase,studentssharedthesolutionwiththeentireclass.InstructordiscussedtheproblemofconvertingcontextfreegrammartoChomskyNormalformandhighlightsimportantpoints.

EXPERIMENTAL DETAIL A. SampleSinceTheoryofComputationisthecourseofSecondyearComputerScienceandEngineering,agroupof40studentswasselectedforthisexperiment.B. Think-Pair-Share(TPS)ActivityTPSisacollaborative,activelearningstrategy,inwhichstudentsworkonaproblemposedbyinstructor,firstindividually(Think),theninpairs(Pair)orgroups,andfinallytogetherwithth[7]. SothisTPSconsistofthreephase:

63 | P a g e © 2014 Society of Education, India

Theobjectivesofthisstudywere:Tocleartheconceptsaboutfiniteautomata,regularexpressionetc.

performanceofstudentsinthiscourse.To make easy the concepts like converting one form of machine to another, converting regularexpressiontoNFA,convertinggrammartonormalformsetc.

To test the effectiveness of TPS activity, one group Pre-Test Post-Test model is considered. The courseconsidered is Theory of Computation which is Second Year Computer Science and Engineering Course.Simplified forms and normal forms is the topic considered from this course for this activity. First

thistopicbytraditionalteachingmethodthatisblackboardteachingmethodtotheclass.Inthistopic,subtopicscoveredwere-eliminatingnullproductionfromthegivencontextfreegrammar,eliminatingunitproductionthegivencontextfreegrammar,eliminatinguselessvariablethegivencontextfreegrammarand finallyconverting thegivencontext freegrammar toChomskyNormalForm.Precoveringthesesubtopics wasconducted for25marks. Afterconducting thepre-test,weconsideredTPS

y in the classroom. For TPS activity, the problem statement was to convert the given context freegrammartoChomskyNormalformwhichconsistoffollowingsteps:Step1:Eliminatenullproductionsfromgivencontextfreegrammarifany.

unitproductionsfromgivencontextfreegrammarifany.Step3:Eliminateuselessvariablefromtheproductionsofgivencontextfreegrammarifany.Step4:ConvertthecontextfreegrammartoChomskyNormalForm.TPSactivityforconvertingthegivencontextfreegrammartoChomskyNormalformconsistof

In think phase of TPS activity, instructor asked the question to students to eliminate nullproductions,unitproductionsanduselessvariableifanyfromgivencontextfreegrammar.

Inpairphase,eachstudentwasaskedtopairwiththepartner,sharedtheirthinkingwitheachotherandproceedswiththetask.Instructoraskedthequestionrelatedpreviousonethatissuitabletodeepen

’ understanding of the topic. The students were asked to convert the grammar obtained in‘Think’phasetoChomskyNormalform.

studentssharedthesolutionwiththeentireclass.InstructordiscussedtheproblemtfreegrammartoChomskyNormalformandhighlightsimportantpoints.

Figure 1: Experimental Set up

SinceTheoryofComputationisthecourseofSecondyearComputerScienceandEngineering,agroupofselectedforthisexperiment.

Share(TPS)ActivityTPSisacollaborative,activelearningstrategy,inwhichstudentsworkonaproblemposedbyinstructor,firstindividually(Think),theninpairs(Pair)orgroups,andfinallytogetherwithth

SothisTPSconsistofthreephase:

Sunita M Dol

Society of Education, India

To make easy the concepts like converting one form of machine to another, converting regular

Test model is considered. The courseconsidered is Theory of Computation which is Second Year Computer Science and Engineering Course.Simplified forms and normal forms is the topic considered from this course for this activity. First

thistopicbytraditionalteachingmethodthatisblackboardteachingmethodtotheclass.eliminatingnullproductionfromthegivencontextfreegrammar,

eliminatinguselessvariablethegivencontextfreegrammarand finallyconverting thegivencontext freegrammar toChomskyNormalForm.Pre-test

test,weconsideredTPSy in the classroom. For TPS activity, the problem statement was to convert the given context free

Step3:Eliminateuselessvariablefromtheproductionsofgivencontextfreegrammarifany.

TPSactivityforconvertingthegivencontextfreegrammartoChomskyNormalformconsistofIn think phase of TPS activity, instructor asked the question to students to eliminate null

givencontextfreegrammar.Inpairphase,eachstudentwasaskedtopairwiththepartner,sharedtheirthinkingwitheachother

previousonethatissuitabletodeepen’ understanding of the topic. The students were asked to convert the grammar obtained in

studentssharedthesolutionwiththeentireclass.InstructordiscussedtheproblemtfreegrammartoChomskyNormalformandhighlightsimportantpoints.

SinceTheoryofComputationisthecourseofSecondyearComputerScienceandEngineering,agroupof

TPSisacollaborative,activelearningstrategy,inwhichstudentsworkonaproblemposedbyinstructor,firstindividually(Think),theninpairs(Pair)orgroups,andfinallytogetherwiththeentireclass(Share)

IJERT Volume 5[4] 2014 64 | P a g e © 2014 Society of Education, India

Think: Faculty starts the teaching-learning process by seeking answers to specific question about thetopic.Students"think"aboutwhattheyknoworhavelearnedaboutthetopicforagivenspecifiedtimeslot.Pair:Eachstudentispairedwithanotherstudent.Studentssharetheirsolutiontogivenprobleminthinkphase,discussideas,andaskquestionstoeachother.Facultyaskscomplexquestionrelatedtopreviouslyaskedproblemandstudentsareaskedtosolvetheproblem.Share:Pairhasadequatetimetosharetheirthoughtsandhaveadiscussion;teachersexpandthe"share"into a whole-class discussion. Allow each group to choose who will present their thoughts, ideas, andquestions.Aftertheclass“share,”youmayagainaskthepairtotalkabouthowtheirthinkingchangedasaresultofthe“share”element.

Figure 2: TPS activity

C. Pre-Test and Post-Test Pre-TestandPost-Testwereconductedonthetopic:SimplifiedFormsandNormalForms.Theweightageofbothtestswas25marks.Bothtestsconsistofquestionslikeeliminatenullproductions,eliminateunitproductions, eliminate useless variable and convert the given grammar into Chomsky Normal Form.These question covers Apply and Analyze level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The sample question in tests isshownasbelow:

D. Procedure In this one group Pre-Test Post-Test Model, first blackboard teaching was done related to the topicSimplifiedFormsandNormalForms.Afterteachingthistopic,Pre-Testwasconductedonthistopic.TwoTPS activity was conducted to convert the given context free grammar to Chomsky Normal Form. Toknow about the students’ perception about activity, feedback was also conducted at the end of thisactivity.Post-TestwasconductedafterTPSactivitytochecktheeffectivenessofthisactivity.E. Feedback Tounderstandstudent’sperceptionaboutthisactivity,thefeedbackwasconductedattheendofactivityasshownintable4.Feedbackcontainsthequestionlikehowfrequentlydidyouwritethesolutiontotheproblemgivenbytheinstructorduringthethinkphase?,Howfrequentlydidyoudiscussyoursolutionwithyourpartnerduringthepairphase?,Istayedinterestedinthecontentofthelecturebecauseofthethink-pair-shareactivities?,Thinkingabouttheproblemandwritingthesolutionduringthethinkphasehelpedmelearn<topic>concepts,Discussingmysolutionwithmypartnerduringthepairphasehelpedmelearn<topic>concepts,Iwouldnothavelearnedasmuchfromthelectureiftherehadbeennothink-pair-shareScaleactivitiesetc.

Convert the following context free grammar to

Chomsky normal form

S->PQP

P-> 0P|^

Q-> 1P|^

Sunita M Dol

IJERT Volume 5[4] 2014

Table Sr.No.

1 Howfrequentlydidyouwritethesolutiontotheproblemgivenbytheinstructorduringthethinkphase?

2 Howfrequentlydidyoudiscussyoursolutionwithyourpartnerduringthepairphase?

3 Istayedinterestedinthecontentofthelecturebecauseofthethinkpair-shareactivities.

4 Thinkingabouttheproblemandwritingthesolutionduringthethinkphasehelpedmelearn<topic>concepts.

5 Discussingmysolutionwithmypartnerduringthepairphasehelpedmelearn<topic>concepts

6 Listeningtootherstudents'solutionsphasehelpedmelearn<topic>concepts.

7 Iwouldnothavelearnedasmuchfromthelectureiftherehadbeennothink-pair-shareScaleactivities.

8 DidyouliketheThink-Pair–Share

RESULTS ANALYSIS Students’conceptualunderstandingwasanalyzedusingpreinfigure3showsthatstudentsperformedbetterinpostalsocalculatedasshowninfigure4.

Figure

65 | P a g e © 2014 Society of Education, India

Table 4: Students’ perception about TPS activity Never Sometimes

Howfrequentlydidyouwritethesolutiontotheproblemgivenbytheinstructorduringthethinkphase?

2% 21%

yoursolutionwithyourpartnerduring 0% 21%

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Istayedinterestedinthecontentofthelecturebecauseofthethink- 0% 1%

problemandwritingthesolutionduringthethinkphasehelpedmelearn<topic>concepts.

0% 0%

Discussingmysolutionwithmypartnerduringthepairphasehelped 0% 4%

Listeningtootherstudents'solutionsanddiscussionduringtheshareconcepts.

3% 4%

Iwouldnothavelearnedasmuchfromthelectureiftherehadbeenno 2% 30%

Shareactivity:Yes/NoWhy? TPSYes=100%

Figure: 6: TPS activity example for Theory of Computation

Students’conceptualunderstandingwasanalyzedusingpre-poettestmarksasshowninfigure3.Graphinfigure3showsthatstudentsperformedbetterinpost-testascomparedtopre-test.Normalizedgainisalsocalculatedasshowninfigure4.

Figure 3: Pre-Post Test marks of students

Sunita M Dol

Society of Education, India

Sometimes Often Always

27% 50%

21% 57%

Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

70% 29%

64% 36%

48% 48%

57% 36%

55% 13%

Figure: 6: TPS activity example for Theory of Computation

poettestmarksasshowninfigure3.Graphtest.Normalizedgainis

IJERT Volume 5[4] 2014 66 | P a g e © 2014 Society of Education, India

Figure 4: Normalized Gain

Averagegainandrelativegainwerecalculatedandisshownintable1.Relativeaveragegainis0.87.

Table 1: Average Gains

AveragePre-test

AveragePost-Test

AbsoluteAverageGain

RelativeAverageGain

9 16 7 0.87

Table 2: Average Gains Pre-Test Level

No. of Students

Mean of Pre-Test

Mean of Post-Test

Average Gain

High(>=60%)

4 15.5 20 4.5

Medium(40-59%)

12 12.16 17.16 5

Low(<40%)

24 5.95 15.75 9.8

Asshowninfigure5,thereissignificantdifferenceinpre-testandpost-testmarks.Itmeansthisactivityisusefulforlowperformer.

Figure 5: Mean of Pre-Post Test for high, medium and low

t-Test is used to determine if two sets of data differ significantly from each other. For t-Test to besignificantstatistically,tvaluemustbe2.145andpvaluemustbelessthanorequalto0.05.t-Testresultisshownintable3. t-Testresultalsoshowsstatisticalsignificantdifferencebetweenpre-testandpost-testconductedforthisactivity

Sunita M Dol

IJERT Volume 5[4] 2014 67 | P a g e © 2014 Society of Education, India

Table 3: t-Test Result

DegreeofFreedom

StandardDeviation

tvalue pvalue

78 4.14 8.45 0.0001

CONCLUSIONS Inthispaper,howTPSactivitycanbeusedforTheoryofComputationisexplained.Fromthefeedback,99%studentsagreedthat think-pair-shareactivitydeveloped interest in themto learn.100%studentsagreed that thinking about the problem and writing the solution during the think phase helped themlearnconceptsmoreprecisely.96%studentsagreedthatdiscussingthesolutionwiththepartnerduringthepairphasehelpedstudentslearnconceptsmoreclearly.93%studentsagreedthatlisteningtootherstudents'solutionsanddiscussionduringthesharephasehelpedtolearnconcepts.Also100%studentsagreedthattheyfoundtheThink-Pair-Shareactivityeffective.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT Iwouldliketothankreviewers,entire‘RMET’workshopteam,IITBombay&mentorJayKrishanan.IalsothankManagementandPrincipalS.A.HalkudeofWalchandInstituteofTechnology,Solapur.REFERENCES 1. Mukta Goyal, Shelly Sachdeva(2009). “Enhancing Theory of Computation Teaching through Integration with

otherCourses”,InternationalJournalofRecentTrendsinEngineering,Vol.1,No.2,90-98.2. CarlosI.Ches˜nevaretal. (2004).“DidacticStrategiesforPromotingSignificantLearninginFormalLanguages

andAutomataTheory”,ACM1581138369,ITiCSE’04,June28–30.3. Carlos Iv´an Ches˜nevar et al. (2004). “Teaching Fundamentals of Computing Theory: A Constructivist

Approach”,JCS&TVol.4No.2,23-37.4. Carlos I. Ches˜nevar et al.(2009). “Using Theorotical Computer Simulators for Formal Laguages and Automata

Theory.pp4055. Anna O. Bilska et al.(2008).”A Collection of Tools for Making Automata Theory and Formal Languages Come

Alive.6. Aditi Kothiyal et. Al,(2013).Effect of Think-Pair-Share in a Large CS1 Class: 83% Sustained Engagement”,

ICER’13,August12–14.7. GargiBanerjeeet.al(2013).“Teachingwithvisualizationsinclassroomsetting:MappingInstructionalStrategies

toInstructionalObjectives”,IEEEFifthInternationalConferenceonTechnologyforEducation.

Sunita M Dol