Teaching Concurrency: Theory in Practice

Teaching courses that rely on sound mathematical principles is nowadays a challenging task at many universities. On the one hand there is an increased demand for educating students in these areas, on the other hand there are more and more students being accepted with less adequate skills in mathematics. We report here on our experiences in teaching concurrency theory over the last twenty years or so to students ranging from mathsphobic bachelor students to sophisticated doctoral students. The contents of the courses, the material on which they are based and the pedagogical philosophy underlying them are described, as well as some of the lessons that we have learned over the years.