Description of the course
The course introduces students to the analysis and design of computer algorithms. Students will learn advanced design techniques, important classical algorithms and data structures, and their implementation in modern programming environment.
Description of the participants
Participants are full-time students in the Program of Master of Computer Science with a focus on Applied Computing at the University of Malaya. A total of 31 students attended the course in semester 1 of academic year 2022 – 2023.
Description of gamified design thinking activities
The overall objective of project-based class activities was to:
- Implement the algorithms and data structures to solve real world problems.
- Develop ICT solutions with algorithms and data structures.
The course included a class project, that aimed to:
- Optimize the process of ploughing, planting, and harvesting paddy up to processing and packaging rice using a suitable algorithm.
- Design a suitable robot structure for the above algorithm through IOT prototyping.
- Apply design thinking process using the ICT-INOV platform.
Students are asked to create a robot to optimize the following scenario: “The staple food for Malaysia is rice and it is the case to most of the Malay, Chinese, and Indian race. Currently the process of ploughing, planting, and harvesting paddy up to processing and packaging rice uses certain machineries such as the Kubota and the auto rice mill – rice processing factory”.
Each group was encouraged to select one of the following robot structures:
- A robot arm.
- A humanoid.
- A car.
Each group was required to understand the ploughing, planting, and harvesting processes up to packaging and choose one process based on the robot structure to optimize the practice using a suitable algorithm by using design thinking steps of empathy, definition, ideation, design, prototyping, and testing. An activity was designed in the ICT-INOV platform, which was divided into 10 stages in order to follow the 10-week semester schedule. Each week each group was required to demonstrate progress by posting discussion points and solutions.
