Promoting the efficiency of learning Computer network course with the use of Cisco network devices

In Taiwan, `Computer Networks' is a basic course which most students in information-related departments should study. This course includes introduction to networks and OSI network communication model. The goal of this course is to teach the students understand the network communication opinion and protocols. However, most students in the universities of Science and Technology in Taiwan cannot really know how and what network communication model operates. In this paper, the reason of this learning phenomenon is found mainly that the students hardly image the operation of network communication protocol just via the oral teaching or traditional teaching methods. Hence, we investigate the performance efficiency of learning network computer with a network simulation tool designed by Cisco, called Packet Tracer. Through this tool, the students can deeply understand the packet routing among the network devices and also can see the packet structure composed by packet header and payloads via fetching network traffic. Finally, we also give an easy questionnaire for students and obtain the result that the students prefer the teaching network computer with this useful simulation tool and think it can promote the learning efficiency of this course.