2-Hour Active Learning Session Plan
Below is a 2-hour active learning session plan tailored specifically to your
Session 02 – Linked List material.
It is designed for undergraduate Data Structure courses and aligns with student-
centered / active learning pedagogy.
Topic: Linked List
Duration: 120 minutes
Course: Data Structure
Teaching Approach: Active learning + guided practice + discussion
1. Session Overview
Learning Outcomes (Aligned with your slides)
By the end of the session, students will be able to:
Explain the concept and characteristics of linked lists
Compare arrays and linked lists
Perform insertion and deletion in singly and doubly linked lists
Apply linked lists to polynomial representation
Implement basic linked list operations in C
2. Time Breakdown & Activities
0–10 min | Opening & Motivation (Engagement)
Activity: Problem-Based Trigger
Instructor does:
Ask:
“If we store a playlist in an array, what happens when we insert a new song in the
middle?”
Students do:
Think individually (1 min)
Share answers orally
Pedagogical element:
Problem-Based Learning
Prior knowledge activation
10–25 min | Concept Introduction (Guided Lecture)
Topic:
Linked list concept
Node structure
Head pointer
Method:
Short lecture with diagrams
Ask concept-check questions:
“Why can’t we access a linked list by index?”
“What happens if the head pointer is NULL?”
Pedagogical element:
Interactive lecture
Formative questioning
25–40 min | Linked List vs Array (Collaborative Thinking)
Activity: Comparison Table
Students do:
Work in pairs
Fill in a comparison table (array vs linked list)
Instructor:
Facilitates discussion
Confirms correct answers
Pedagogical element:
Think–Pair–Share
Analytical reasoning
40–55 min | Singly Linked List Creation (Guided Practice)
Topic:
Dynamic memory allocation (malloc, free)
Node definition
Head pointer
Activity:
Instructor walks through code step-by-step
Students identify:
data field
link field
Pedagogical element:
Scaffolding
Code reading (not full coding)
55–70 min | Insertion Operations (Active Learning)
Topic:
Insert at head
Insert at middle / tail
Activity:
Students work in small groups:
“Write the algorithm (steps) to insert a node at the end.”
Instructor:
Collects answers
Shows correct algorithm visually
Pedagogical element:
Collaborative problem-solving
Algorithmic thinking
70–80 min | Break (10 minutes)
80–95 min | Deletion Operations (Predict–Observe–Explain)
Topic:
Delete head
Delete non-head
Activity:
Predict: What happens if we delete the head?
Observe: Instructor shows diagram/code
Explain: Students explain pointer changes
Pedagogical element:
Predict–Observe–Explain
Conceptual understanding
95–105 min | Doubly Linked List (Guided Comparison)
Topic:
Structure of doubly linked list
Differences from singly linked list
Activity:
Instructor asks:
“What extra pointer do we have, and what problem does it solve?”
Pedagogical element:
Comparative reasoning
105–115 min | Application: Polynomial Representation
Activity:
Mini exercise:
Represent 6x³ + 2x + 5 using a linked list.
Students:
Draw nodes and links
Pedagogical element:
Application-based learning
Concept transfer
115–120 min | Reflection & Wrap-Up
Activity:
Reflection question:
“Which operation is hardest to understand and why?”
Instructor:
Summarizes key points
Connects to next topic
Pedagogical element:
Metacognition
Outcome reinforcement
3. Assessment Strategy (Lightweight)
Oral questioning
Group discussion outputs
Mini exercises (non-graded)
Observation of participation
4. Teaching Materials Needed
Slides (your current ones, improved)
Whiteboard / digital pen
Linked list diagrams
Sample C code snippets
5. Pedagogical Strengths of This Plan
✅ Student-centered
✅ Active participation every 10–15 minutes
✅ Balanced theory & practice
✅ Suitable for mixed-ability students
✅ Aligned with OBE principles