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MIS140: Data Communications and Networking

Student-Centered, Engaging, Hands-On

Reflection on Instructional Change:

One ACUE practice I implemented in MIS140 was Planning Effective Class Discussions using a structured Think-Pair-Share activity around a subnetting worksheet. Students were given a scenario where an organization with multiple departments had to subnet 192.168.1.0/24 using both FLSM and VLSM, then compare efficiency and answer targeted questions about classful addressing, host counts, subnet masks, and network/broadcast addresses. I first asked students to work individually on one or two items, then pair up within their groups to reconcile answers, and finally share solutions and reasoning in a whole-class discussion. I chose these steps to turn a traditionally procedural topic into a collaborative, reasoning-focused conversation.

This practice changed how I taught subnetting and how students engaged with it. Instead of silently copying steps, students actively debated which subnet mask would support 50 hosts or how many addresses were wasted under FLSM. During the share-out, several students commented that “talking through the steps helped subnetting make sense” and that the comparison with VLSM “showed why the math actually matters.” I also noticed fewer blank responses and more complete work on related exam questions.

The FLC activities that most influenced my instructional changes were the ACUE Demonstration Videos and the CTL “Observe and Analyze” synchronous session. The demonstration videos were especially helpful because they showed real instructors implementing active learning techniques in authentic classroom settings, allowing me to see how they structured questions, facilitated peer discussion, and guided students without taking over the conversation. These concrete, visual examples helped me refine my own approach to pacing, prompting, and checking for understanding during challenging technical topics like subnetting. Additionally, the Observe and Analyze session with colleagues gave me the opportunity to receive warm and cool feedback. Together, these activities provided helpful ideas for implementing ACUE techniques in my course.

One important “aha moment” from my own Observe and Analyze session was realizing the value of visually capturing student responses on the board during discussions. I noticed how other instructors wrote students’ answers as they were shared, creating a collective record that helped everyone follow the reasoning, compare ideas, and stay engaged. I recognized that in my own teaching, I often facilitated verbal discussion without writing down the responses, which made it harder for students to track the conversation, especially in a technical course like MIS140 where steps and numbers matter.

Evidence of Instructional Change

Evidence of Instructional Change
Explaining the task to students before the activity	Students working on the task in pairs	Effective Note-Taking Suggestions

Practice and Reflect on: Network and Transport Layer: Fill in the Blanks Challenge

AL1_Practice_and_Reflect_Assignment_Network and Transport Layer.pdf

AL1_Practice_and_Reflect_Comment_by_ACUE_Reviewer.pdf

Course Syllabus

MIS140_Fall_2025_Syllabus.pdf

Faculty Bio

Faculty Bio
	I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management, Information Systems, and Business Analytics at California State University, Sacramento. I teach programming, data analytics, machine learning, cybersecurity, and networking, drawing on 16 years of industry experience leading software development and IT projects. My research focuses on healthcare IT, digital inclusion, immersive technologies, and the use of AI in business and higher education. In addition to teaching and research, I am actively involved in curriculum development, committee service, and student engagement initiatives across the university.

Project Funding Support Details
	This work was supported by: National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM Zone DUE 1832335 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project Degree with a Purpose P031S210061 US Department of Education Hispanic Serving Institution Project STEM4Equity P031C210012 *Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the US Department of Education.