An Interactive Learning Method to Engage Students in Modeling

Modeling is an important skill in software engineering. However, it is often not tangible for students and not appreciated. Students prefer coding because they receive immediate feedback from the compiler. Engaging students in modeling is difficult, especially in large introductory courses. We have developed an interactive learning method for modeling which is based on an easy to use online editor. Students learn modeling in guided tutorials in the lecture right after the theory is introduced and deepen their modeling skills in group work and homework exercises. This learning method was applied in a large introductory course with more than 1000 students. An empirical evaluation of the method demonstrated that the students' learning outcome in modeling improved significantly by up to 87 %. Students are motivated to use models in their future projects and understand how to approach problems with models. The use of interactive models in programming exercises improves their understanding of the taught concepts.