Teaching Algorithms

The Algorithm is a fundamental concept for teaching Computer Science in Secondary Education. There are verbal (pseudocode) and graphic (flowchart) representations of algorithms that can be used in the process. Teaching algorithms through peer collaboration is a new approach that needs investigation. The main objective of this paper is to present a case study of computer-assisted collaborative algorithm teaching in an authentic secondary school environment. In the context of this study, activities concerning algorithms exploitation and building, using a flowchart representation were designed for fifteen-year old students. These activities engaged a prototype computer-based collaborative learning environment, Synergo, which has been adapted especially for this study. Interesting findings of this study concern the learning impact of this didactic approach and suggestions on its effective use.