Towards an Active Learning Approach for the Design of a Secure Programming Course Using Constructive Alignment

Even though economic development encourages innovation across the world, the education industry has remained relatively consistent in following traditional modes of teaching. Traditional modes of teaching include the instructor transferring content to students through presenting the content either in a classroom setting, or through online means, often with little attention given to active learning and engagement of students. This form of education may not be effective particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, such as programming, which is popular in STEM related qualifications. The traditional teaching mode often negatively affects students’ success rates resulting in unemployment. Due to the passiveness of the traditional teaching modes, students often lose concentration during lengthy lectures. Therefore, a more active learning approach is recommended due to its engaging and effective mode of teaching. This paper investigates the relevant active learning elements which could assist in effective secure programming education. The identified elements are used to design a secure programming course within a constructive alignment approach thereby ensuring that intended learning outcomes are achieved.