Raja Sooriamurthi

• Puzzle-Based Learning: An Introduction to Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  Zbigniew Michalewicz, Nickolas Falkner, Raja Sooriamurthi
  Proceedings of the 41st annual meeting of the Decision Sciences Institute, San Diego, November 2010.
  Republished in Decision Line, Vol 42, No 5, October, 2011
  2010 DSI Instructional Innovation Award Competition Finalist

   

• Puzzle-Based Learning for Engineering and Computer Science
  Nickolas Falkner, Raja Sooriamurthi, and Zbigniew Michalewicz
  IEEE Computer, Vol 43, No 4, April 2010.
  

   

• Puzzle-Based Learning: The first experiences
  Nickolas Falkner, Raja Sooriamurthi, and Zbigniew Michalewicz
  Proceedings of the 20th Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) , Adelaide, Australia, December, 2009.
  

   

• The Essence of Object Orientation for CS0: Concepts without Code
  Raja Sooriamurthi
  Proceedings of 25th Annual Eastern Conference of the Consortium of Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC-E), October, 2009., Villanova, Pennsylvania, October, 2009.
  

   

• Bridging the Gap: Experience with the Qatar Summer College Preview Program
  Gloria Hill and Raja Sooriamurthi
  Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), San Antonio, Texas, October, 2009.
  

   

• Introducing Abstraction and Decomposition to Novice Programmers
  Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the 14th annual conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE), Paris, France July, 2009.
  

   

• Introduction to Programming and Software Development: an Interactive, Incremental and Iterative Approach
  Raja Sooriamurthi
  Proceedings of the 36th Annual Meeting of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI-2005), San Francisco, California, November 2005.

   

• Case Dispatching versus Case-Base Merging: when MCBR matters
  David Leake and Raja Sooriamurthi.
  International Journal on Artificial Intelligence Tools: Architectures, Languages and Algorithms (IJAIT). Special issue on recent advances in techniques for intelligent systems. Vol 13, No 1, 2004, pp 237--254.

   

• Experience in Developing a Mobile Course Portal
  Meng Xu, Mark Fountain, Scott MacArthur, Matt Braunstein, Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (eLearn-2004), Washington DC, November 2004.

   

• Java Engagement for Teaching Training: An Experience Report
  Raja Sooriamurthi, Arijit Sengupta, Suzanne Menzel, Katie Moor, Sid Stamm and Katy Börner
  Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), Savannah, Georgia, October, 2004.
  

   

• Dispatching Cases versus Merging Case-Bases: When MCBR Matters
  David Leake & Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Sixteenth Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society (FLAIRS) Conference, St. Augustine, Florida, May, 2003.
  Nominated for best paper award.

   

• Automatically Selecting Strategies for Multi-Case-Base Reasoning
  David Leake & Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Sixth European Conference on Case-Based (ECCBR) , Aberdeen, Scotland, September, 2002.
  Nominated for best paper award.

   

• Managing Multiple Case-Bases: Dimensions and Issues
  David Leake & Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Fifteenth Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society (FLAIRS) Conference, Pensacola, Florida, May, 2002.
  

   

• When Two Case Bases are Better Than One: Exploiting Multiple Case Bases
  David Leake & Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning (ICCBR) , Vancouver, Canada, July, 2001.
  

   

• Problems in Comprehending Recursion and Suggested Solutions
  Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Sixth annual conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, Canterbury, UK, June, 2001.
  

   

• Prelude to the Java Event Model
  Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Sixth annual conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, Canterbury, UK, June, 2001. Code and Slides from the presentation.

   

• Literate Engines in Lisp
  Raja Sooriamurthi.
  Proceedings of the Fifth International Lisp Users and Vendors Conference,Boston, MA, 1995.
  

   

• An Architecture for Goal-Driven Explanation
  Raja Sooriamurthi and David B. Leake.
  Proceedings of the eighth Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Symposium, Melbourne Beach, FL, April 1995. pp 218-222.
  

   

• Towards Situated Explanation
  Raja Sooriamurthi and David Leake.
  Proceedings of the twelfth National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Seattle, WA, 1994, AAAI Press.

For the past several years I have periodically offered a seminar on Puzzles, Games, and Problem Solving. The theme of the seminar is Puzzle-based learning. Zbigniew Michalewicz, Nick Falkner, and Ed Meyer have been working in this area for several years. Our collective pedagogical experience has been shared in our recent book Guide to Teaching Puzzle-based Learning Springer, 2014

The pedagogical objectives of project-based learning include dealing with ambiguity and complexity, integration of a variety of approaches, user-testing of the value of proposed solutions, and working with a team of people with diverse backgrounds and skills. In problem-based learning we use domain specific knowledge (for, for example, electromagnetism, data-structures, circuit-theory, accounting etc.) to solve problems in the domain. In both problem and project-based learning the problem drives the learning: students need to assess what they already know, what they need to know to address the problem, and how to bridge the knowledge/skill gap. Puzzle-based learning focuses on domain independent transferable skills of critical thinking and abstract reasoning. In addition, puzzle-based learning aims to foster introspection and reflection on the personal problem solving process. What was I thinking? What is the solution? Why did I not see it?

• Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) Instructional Innovation Award, November 2022.
• Elliott Dunlap Smith Award for Distinguished Teaching and Educational Service, February 2020.
  Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University.
• Martcia Wade Teaching Award, April 2018.
  Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University.
• Teaching Incentive Program Award, January 2000.
  College of Science and Technology, University of West Florida.
• Excellence in under-graduate teaching and advising award, February 1999.
  College of Science and Technology, University of West Florida.
• Lieber Memorial Teaching Associate Award, March 1995.
  Indiana University.
• Outstanding Associate Instructor Award, May 1995.
  The alumni board of the College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University.
• Outstanding Associate Instructor Award, April 1994.
  Computer Science Department, Indiana University.

• Most Enthusiastic Professor, May 2007, MSIS class of 2007, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
• CIS Club Students' Choice Award, April 2006, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
• New Faculty Fellow award, IEEE Frontiers in Education, October 2004.
• Finalist, Trustees Teaching Award, 2006, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
• Nominated for Innovative Teaching Award, 2004, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
• Nominated for Student Choice Award, 2004, Student Alumni Association, Indiana University.
• Nominated for the Gordon Faculty Award 2004, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Office, Indiana University.