The TOPS Project - Teaching our over performing students

Description/Abstract

It would be unlikely for any first year programming class to be solely composed of novices. We all have students with a range of abilities, and this generates challenges as to the best way in which to manage and teach the class. The students at the top need to be enthused whilst we provide extra help to the students at the bottom, and try not to demotivate the ones in the middle. This paper reports the outcome of a project aimed at enthusing the better programmers within the first year of a Computing degree programme. The activity and judging process have been designed to retain student motivation and to value the integration of professional and technical skills. Students and academics have evaluated the process. Student achievements have been enhanced and the approach is seen as a useful addition to existing teaching methods.