Teaching Formal Foundations of Computer Science with Iltis

Abstract

Introductory courses on formal foundations of computer science are often attended by large numbers of students with diverse backgrounds. In this paper we outline how we address this challenge in our courses by supplementing traditional teaching with web-based, interactive exercises. The web-based exercises are provided by Iltis, a modern teaching support system covering
the foundations of computer science logic, formal languages, and (parts of) complexity theory. We give a gentle introduction to Iltis, describe its technical integration into our courses, and outline research challenges and opportunities coming up when developing such a system.