Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

IDP in Educational Technology

Instructor Resources
Resource Think-Pair-Share Activity
constructor
Version 1.0, Dec 2013
Download from: www.et.iitb.ac.in/resources Released under: Creative Commons!ttribution ".0
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Part 1 Plan your TPS activity
1. C#oose a to$ic from %our current/ne&t course t#at #as sco$e for multi$le solution
a$$roac#es, or detailin' of an abstract conce$t, or some form of open-ended discussion.
(ee !$$endi& for some e&am$les.
2. Think phase: )rite an initial *seed+ ,uestion on t#e $roblem or to$ic %ou want to discuss.
Example from cs11: -)rite t#e $seudocode to .nd t#e smallest element in an inte'er
arra%/.
Ensure that: *i+ 0#e ,uestion is broad enou'# so t#at most students in %our class can write
some res$onse. *ii+ ! student can t#in1 about it and write an individual answer in about 1
3 minutes. *iii+ 0#ere is a clear deliverable for t#e student.
)#% close $rotocol is muc# secure t#an o$en $rotocol s%stem for data communication2
3. Pair phase: )rite a followu$ ,uestion, t#at two students can wor1 on to'et#er.
Example from cs11: -3dentif% missin' $ieces in eac# ot#er4s $seudocode. 0o'et#er, build
on %our $seudocode and write t#e C55 code to sort t#e arra%, usin' e&c#an'e sort-.
Ensure that: *i+ 0#e ,uestion is connected to t#e 0#in1 $#ase, i.e., t#e% s#ould use t#e
out$ut of t#eir 0#in1 $#ase. *ii+ 0wo students are re,uired to answer t#e 6air ,uestion, and
s#ould be able to do so in about 710 minutes. *iii+ 0#ere is a clear deliverable for t#e $air.
*iv+ 0#e ,uestion leads to t#e discussion t#at %ou want to carr% out later.
8ow can %ou connect o$en $rotocol to close $rotocol s%stem2
1
". Share phase: )rite a followu$ tas1 t#at all student $airs s#ould do. 3nvite a few $airs to
s#are t#eir answer.
Example from cs11: -Com$are %our solution wit# instructor4s demo $ro'ram for
e&c#an'e sort. 3dentif% $oints w#ere %our solution is di9erent and s#are t#em wit# t#e
class-.
Ensure that: *i+ :ou #ave antici$ated a few li1el% res$onses. *ii+ ;ive about 1 minute for
eac# $air to e&$lain t#eir answer. *iii+ 8i'#li'#t im$ortant $oints *or $roscons+ of eac#
answer. *iv+ 3nvite answers t#at are conce$tuall% di9erent from $revious ones. *v+
(ummari<e t#e entire discussion after 1217 minutes, and move on=
!ote: 0#is wor1s even in lar'e classes, since t#e res$onses are li1el% to fall into a few
cate'ories.
>$en $rotocol s%stem $rovides t#ose com$onent w#ic# can ma1e interfacin' b/w all
elements in eas% wa%. !s far as close s%stem is concerned it $rovides interfacin' in secure
manner. ?or instance if we are #avin' two nodes w#ic# are #avin' o$en s%stem and we
#ave to ma1e connection between t#em t#rou'# @luetoot#. >n t#e ot#er #and if are usin'
close s%stem $rotocol t#en it is not $ossible to ma1e connectivit% between t#em. @ecause
for communication $rotocol must be same.
?or $rovidin' connectivit% in close s%stem $rotocol and o$en s%stem $rotocol we can use
36 networ1.
7. Continue furt#er discussion into t#e to$ic, as $er %our $lan. 3f %ou .nd t#at man% of t#e
$oints t#at %ou wanted to conve% are alread% covered, t#en %our 06( activit% was a
success=
2
Part !"ptional#$ %e&ne your TPS activity
Do eit#er or bot# of t#e below:
1. 0al1 to a collea'ue w#o is familiar wit# %our to$ic or t#e 06( tec#ni,ue. ;et feedbac1 on
w#et#er:
*i+ t#e statements t#at %ou wrote in 6art 1 ca$ture w#at %ou want students to do in eac#
$#ase,
*ii+ t#ere is a lo'ical connection between %our $#ases, and
*iii+ t#e timin's for eac# $#ase are o1.
2. 6redict t#e res$onses t#at %ou will 'et from students in t#e s#are $#ase. Ase t#e s$ace
below to write down some $redictions and later com$are t#em wit# w#at actuall% #a$$ens
in %our class.
3n our 'rou$ some $artici$ants alread% 1new about t#e o$en $rotocol interfacin' and
close $rotocol s%stem.
Part '$ Implement your TPS activity
(ome 'uidelines for w#at to do in class w#en %ou im$lement %our 06( activit%:
1. Don4t $anic if no activit% #a$$ens in t#e .rst minute. (tudents will ta1e time to 'et started.
2. Do encoura'e students to write t#eir ideas down, es$eciall% durin' t#e t#in1 $#ase.
3. Do wal1 around t#e class durin' t#e $air $#ase, answer relevant ,ueries, encoura'e
students to tal1 to t#eir nei'#bor, and to write down t#eir answers. Bee$ trac1 of time
also.
3
". Do discuss a few re$resentative students4 solutions in t#e s#are $#ase, and t#en transition
into $oints t#at %ou want to #i'#li'#t. 3t is o1 if t#is $#ase ta1es 20C more time t#an %ou
antici$ated.
7. Don4t e&$ect 100C $artici$ation. 3f D0C of %our class is $artici$atin', %ou are doin' .ne.

Part ( !"ptional#$ )onduct an education research study

3f %ou are interested in determinin' t#e e9ectiveness of %our im$lementation, be%ond informall%
as1in' a few students for t#eir o$inion, t#en contact convener.etEiitb.ac.in . Researc# sc#olars
from t#e 3D6F0 will be #a$$% to wor1 wit# %ou to structure an education researc# stud% for %our
06( activit%.
"urther Readin#$
1. #tt$://olc.s$sd.s1.ca/DF/6D/instr/strats/t#in1/
2. #tt$://www1.umn.edu/o#r/teac#learn/tutorials/active/strate'ies/
"
!$$endi&: F&am$les of 0#in16air(#are activities from C( 101 for s$eci.c instructional
'oals
3nstructiona
l 'oals
0#in1 6air (#are F&am$le as s#own in t#e slide to
students,
Conce$tual
understandi
n'
Think (tudents write down answer
t#e 'iven ,uestion
Pair (tudents *i+ 3dentif% $arts of
t#e answer t#at t#e% #ave missed
out. *ii+ Discuss w#ic# answer is
betterG do $roscons anal%sis if
t#ere are multi$le solutions.
Share 3nstructor discusses *i+ )#at
are all t#e essential $arts in t#e
answer2 *ii+ 6roscons of various
solutions 'iven b% students
-Consider an unsorted arra% of H
elements.
0#in1: )rite t#e $seudo code for sortin'
t#e arra%
6air: Discuss %our answer wit# %oru
nei'#bor, do $ros and cons anal%sis of
%our al'orit#ms
(#are: ?ollow instructor led discussion of
%our solutions and ot#ers./
I0#is led to a discussion of various
sortin' al'orit#ms.
Code
tracin':
6redict t#e
out$utG
Debu'/mod
if% t#e
'iven code
Think (tudents determine and write
down t#e answer.
Pair (tudents *i+ c#ec1 eac# ot#ers4
solution *ii+ discuss c#an'e in code
to 'et ot#ers4 solutions
Share 3nstructor *i+ e&ecutes t#e
$ro'ram and s#ows t#e out$ut *ii+
discusses a few modi.cations based
on student answers
Predict the output of the following program:
int a J 1, b J 2, c J 3G intI $, intI ,G
$ J KaG , J KbG c J I$G $ J ,G I$ J
13G
cout LL a LL b LL c LL endlG cout LL
I$ LL I, LL endlG/
Think: Draw the memory arrangement and predict.
Pair: Check your neighbors solution. If you dont agree
discuss and come up with a solution that you both agree
upon.
!hare: !ee demo of abo"e code and modified "ersions.#
$The e%ample for the outcome Debug&modify# is similar
Develo$
$ro'rammi
n' lo'ic for
a $roblem:
)rite
$ro'ram.
Think (tudents write down t#e
$seudocode.
Pair (tudents *i+ identif% missin'
$ieces in eac# ot#er solutions *ii+
write t#e $ro'ram.
Share 3nstructor *i+ s#ows one
$ossible solution. *ii+ Discusses a
few re$resentative student
solutions.
-Recall %our $ro'ram to reverse a " di'it
number. F&tend %our solution to
arbitrar% inte'ers.
0#in1: )rite t#e $seudocode
individuall%.
6air: )rite t#e C55 code wit# a $artner.
(#are: Com$are %our solution wit#
demo10reverseHummod1.c$$/
Desi'n a
solution:
)rite
$seudo
code
Think (tudents write down t#e
di9erent $arts *structures and
functions+ of t#e solution
Pair (tudents discuss t#e $seudo
code for t#e functions t#at are
re,uired
Share 3nstructor discusses a few
re$resentative solutions.
-Desi'n a ta&i sc#edulin' service for an
air$ort as follows: *i+ )#en a driver
arrives, #is 3D is entered in an arra% *ii+
)#en a customer arrives t#e earliest
waitin' driver is assi'ned
0#in1: )#at structures and variables are
re,uired2
6air: Discuss t#e $seudocode for t#e
functions t#at are re,uired.
(#are: ?ollow instructor led discussion of
7
%our solutions and ot#ers./
Contribute an a$$endi& of 06( activities for %our disci$line/course, based on t#e 06( activities
t#at wor1ed in %our class.
0#is will be useful to ot#er instructors w#o $lan to im$lement 06(. 3f interested, send mail to
convener.etEiitb.ac.in
Fnd of Resource: Think-Pair-Share Activity constructor
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