Abstract: The currently mainstream mobile application development became part of several programming classes, and courses are being developed focused on mobile app development. Because of the differences in programming topics for mobile, there is a need to explore different approaches to teach the concepts of mobile development. Integrated approaches and collaborative learning are key to handle the multi-platform environment of mobile development and the diversity of its devices. To cover the challenges of mobile development, we developed an approach that integrates Lectures, hands-on Tutorials, and in-class Pair Programming (PP) sessions; the LTP approach.

In this talk, after briefly going over my background and teaching philosophy, I will discuss our work on integrating PP as a core element of mobile development classes, which aims at giving opportunities to students to collaborate, share experiences, and solve problems together. I will also talk about how collaborative learning environments can help in dealing with the current surge in numbers of CS students, which is becoming a major challenge for CS Education.

Short Bio: Mohammed Seyam is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, and he also works with TLOS (Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies) as a Data-informed Learning and Teaching Scholar. Mohammed received his Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Mansoura University and a Master’s degree in Information Systems from Cairo University, both in Egypt. He then travelled to the US and received his MSc and PhD in Computer Science from Virginia Tech.

Mohammed taught several classes in Software Engineering, Information Systems Development, Database Management Systems, and Mobile Software Development, among others. He has extensive experience in software engineering methods, both in academia (as a researcher and a lecturer) and in industry (as an Agile coach.) His research interests span topics related to Software Engineering, Agile methods, Usability Engineering, and Mobile Software Development. Mohammed used his diverse experience to implement innovative teaching approaches, which led to his most recent research work in Computer Science Education.