Introduction to Electrical Engineering and Computer Science I

Electronic Help Queue

Electronic Help Queue

In the design lab, students are always thinking, working, and being active—and the teaching staff is available to help them at all times. Students ask for help by putting themselves in our electronic help queue. The help queue is visible on screens to everyone, and any of the teaching staff can use their smartphones to “claim” students in the queue. We go to where students are working in the room (which is quite large—about 20 meters wide by 10 meters deep, with about 20 octagonal tables) and respond to their questions, help them, or teach them what they need to know in order to answer their own questions. Many times we engage them in a dialogue about their work. We also check to see if something went wrong earlier in their lab work in order to make sure they aren’t headed down the wrong path or have misconceptions that need to be addressed.

The MIT 6.01 Help Queue as it appears to students and staff online. Staff members claim students on the list and then move to the table where students are working in the lab to offer assistance. Individualized student view of the MIT 6.01 Help Queue. The student sees his or her position in the help queue and the task with which he or she is seeking assistance. Staff members electronically track “Who Has Done What” and use this information to identify groups who may need support.