Analysis of Introducing Active Learning Methodologies in a Basic Computer Architecture Course

This paper presents an analysis of introducing active methodologies in the Computer Architecture course taught in the second year of the Computer Engineering Bachelor's degree program at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. The paper reports the experience from three academic years, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014, in which three types of data were considered for analysis: students' dedication, as measured by time spent on the project, their marks, and their level of satisfaction. The study shows that about 86% of students are satisfied with the teaching methodology and are willing to continue using it in future courses. The study also shows that the active methodologies used contribute to the students' cross-curricular training and do not generate any great increase in student workload. Finally, a statistical analysis of the evolution of student performance showed that marks improved to a statistically significant extent after introducing active methodologies.