How does this lesson activity sound to you?

[Barb Knox]

I'm trying to come up with ideas on how to give students (College
Freshman) a hands-on understanding of various sorting algorithms. I
found one idea online... splitting up the class into pairs, and having
them try sorting a number of cards (from a deck of cards) using
various sorting algorithms. Does this sound like a good idea? Is it
too "childish" for new college students? What do you think?

Sounds like a great idea to me. Many or most of your students will be
less fluent in "abstract thought" than you are, so biasing your lessons
towards what seem to you to be childish concrete models is probably a Good
Thing. Just don't start with "Now kiddies..." <g>.

Maybe do several trials, and after the first one have the non-sorting
student keep count of the number of comparisons, then have each group
report its results. (Alternate the sorter and the counter roles between
trials.)

Maybe also do several trials, with a shuffled set of cards, a pre-sorted
set, and a reverse-sorted set to see how that affects performance.

[Jeremy Whiting]

one idea online... splitting up the class into pairs, and having them try
sorting a number of cards (from a deck of cards) using various sorting
algorithms. Does this sound like a good idea? Is it too "childish" for
new college students? What do you think?

I think it's a great idea, especially for Freshmen. Not only does
it give them an idea of how the sorting works, it also gives their
blood a chance to flow in the middle of what can be a long lecture.

I would have loved it as a Freshman (2 years ago).

Jeremy