Bridging the Gap Between Theoretical and Practical Reinforcement Learning in Undergraduate Education

Fuente: arXiv
Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Atif, Muhammad Ahmed, Shaikh, Mohammad Shahid
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
_version_ 1866916974026555392
author Atif, Muhammad Ahmed
Shaikh, Mohammad Shahid
author_facet Atif, Muhammad Ahmed
Shaikh, Mohammad Shahid
contents This innovative practice category paper presents an innovative framework for teaching Reinforcement Learning (RL) at the undergraduate level. Recognizing the challenges posed by the complex theoretical foundations of the subject and the need for hands-on algorithmic practice, the proposed approach integrates traditional lectures with interactive lab-based learning. Drawing inspiration from effective pedagogical practices in computer science and engineering, the framework engages students through real-time coding exercises using simulated environments such as OpenAI Gymnasium. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated through student surveys, instructor feedback, and course performance metrics, demonstrating improvements in understanding, debugging, parameter tuning, and model evaluation. Ultimately, the study provides valuable insight into making Reinforcement Learning more accessible and engaging, thereby equipping students with essential problem-solving skills for real-world applications in Artificial Intelligence.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_05689
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Bridging the Gap Between Theoretical and Practical Reinforcement Learning in Undergraduate Education
Atif, Muhammad Ahmed
Shaikh, Mohammad Shahid
Computers and Society
68T05
K.3.2; I.2.8
This innovative practice category paper presents an innovative framework for teaching Reinforcement Learning (RL) at the undergraduate level. Recognizing the challenges posed by the complex theoretical foundations of the subject and the need for hands-on algorithmic practice, the proposed approach integrates traditional lectures with interactive lab-based learning. Drawing inspiration from effective pedagogical practices in computer science and engineering, the framework engages students through real-time coding exercises using simulated environments such as OpenAI Gymnasium. The effectiveness of this approach is evaluated through student surveys, instructor feedback, and course performance metrics, demonstrating improvements in understanding, debugging, parameter tuning, and model evaluation. Ultimately, the study provides valuable insight into making Reinforcement Learning more accessible and engaging, thereby equipping students with essential problem-solving skills for real-world applications in Artificial Intelligence.
title Bridging the Gap Between Theoretical and Practical Reinforcement Learning in Undergraduate Education
topic Computers and Society
68T05
K.3.2; I.2.8
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05689