Inverted amphitheatre

Initial situation

The “Information Systems Security” course, designed to be taught in a lecture format, offers a formal description of the main basics of computer security as well as a detailed analysis of the solutions commonly used in secure environments. This course combines theoretical and practical aspects to understand the challenges of computer security while presenting concrete and current solutions.

In 2018, the teacher evolves in the way he delivers his course. In addition to the traditional lecture sessions and practical exercises, he/she adds a 3rd teaching mode focused on the students. They become part of the course by proposing their own topics of interest which are shared in the form of presentations.

Project implementation

At the beginning of the course, students choose a topic related to computer security (free or from a list of choices). Once the topic is validated and possibly specified by the teaching staff, students choose a presentation date. The duration and the modality of these presentations vary according to the total number of students registered in the course. Each presentation lasts between 20 (individual) and 30 min (dyad).

The presentation should be informative for both the other students and the teaching staff. At the end of the presentation, a quick feedback is given by the teaching team, the support and/or the recording are made available online and each student or group of students who presented proposes a few exam questions on the topic discussed. The presentation itself is not graded, however, the teaching team will select one of the proposed questions for the exam.

The evaluation of the course is an oral exam, a list of questions to prepare is proposed during the course to the students, it includes one question per presentation. If a student has not made a presentation, he/she will be given a one point deduction on the exam (which will be marked out of 5 instead of 6).

Thoughts and advice

These presentations by students are easy to set up and easily customizable. The length and modality of the presentations, the variety of topics and the evaluation system can be varied from one year to the next. As this format is time-consuming, it is particularly well suited to more advanced students (Master’s level) and smaller classes.

In addition to developing generic skills (literature review, preparation of a support, independent work, oral communication…), this format is an important source of motivation for students. They will really try to teach the teacher something new on a subject they are interested in or even passionate about. Students are also aware that the quality of their presentation will have an impact on their grade on the exam, but also on the grades of their peers.

This over-investment on the student side is also very beneficial for the teaching staff. Instead of tackling the same themes every year, they will be able to discover new subjects from one year to the next thanks to the students.

Student feedback

“The only negative in my opinion is the length of some of the student presentations that unfortunately intrude on the time allotted for the theory course.” “The course was a little bit unorganized in terms of presentation times, the course, etc. After all, I understand that it is very complicated to be organized and rigorous given the conditions. “At first, I wasn’t a fan of the concept of the presentations, but I have to admit that you really knew how to put people at ease and be very reassuring and we didn’t have the impression of being judged. So all in all, it was a fun exercise. “The presentations provide insight into topics that might not otherwise be covered, and the students generally give interesting demonstrations.” “The teacher structures his subject very well and brings a connection between the subject and current events each week. The theory and practice are very well coordinated.”