More Like this

1. How engineering students use domain knowledge when problem‐solving using different visual representations

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20348  

   Johnson‐Glauch, Nicole ; Choi, Dong San ; Herman, Geoffrey ( July 2020 , Journal of Engineering Education)

   Engineering students commonly learn domain knowledge by engaging with visual representations of it. However, at times they have trouble accessing information from these representations due to the way information is encoded in features of the representation.

   To describe how students engage with representation features, we explored two research questions: (a) what is the interplay between how concepts are encoded within representations, students' use of those concepts, and how students translate between representations during their problem‐solving and (b) how is the interplay described in Research Question 1 similar and different across students in statics versus those in digital logic?

   We synthesized findings from two of our prior research studies using the constant comparative method. We described the effect of representations on students' ability to access and use domain knowledge during problem‐solving within and across engineering disciplines.

   We identified three themes that describe how visual representations affect students’ reasoning. First, students conflated concepts that were represented using similar features. Second, students consistently failed to use concepts that were not represented with visually salient features. Third, statics students coordinated multiple representations when translating between representations during problem‐solving more often than the digital logic students.

   These themes provide possible domain‐general pathways for redesigning the notation and representations that we use to teach engineering concepts and suggest future avenues of research to further explore the generality of these findings.

    

   more » « less
2. In-Situ Bending Moment Visualization of a Structure Using Augmented Reality and Real-Time Object Detection

   Arboleda, D. ; Giancaspro, J. ; Cacchione, M. ; Okyay, M. ( June 2023 , American Society for Engineering Education)

   A critical learning outcome of undergraduate engineering mechanics courses is the ability to understand how a structure's internal forces and bending moment will change in response to static and dynamic loads. One of the major challenges associated with both teaching and learning these concepts is the invisible nature of the internal effects. Although concentrated forces applied to the top of the beam can be easily visualized, observing the corresponding changes in the shear and bending moment diagrams is not a trivial task. Nonetheless, proficiency in this concept is vital for students to succeed in subsequent mechanics courses and, ultimately, as a professional practitioner. One promising technology that can enable students to see the invisible internal effects is augmented reality (AR), where virtual or digital objects can be seen through a device such as a smart phone or headset. This paper describes the proof-of-concept development of a Unity®-based AR application called "AR Stairs" that allows students to visualize (in-situ) the relative magnitude of the internal bending moment in an actual structure. The app is specifically tailored to an existing 40-foot long, 16-foot high steel staircase structure located at the authors' institution. This paper details the application design, analysis assumptions, calculations, technical challenges encountered, development environment, and content development. The key features of the app are discussed, which include: (a) coordinate system identification and placement, (b) automatic mapping of a stairs model in-situ, (c) creation of a virtual 2-dimensional staircase model, (d) object detection and tracking of people moving on the stairs, (e) image recognition to approximate people's weight, (f) overlays of virtual force vectors onto moving people, and (g) use of a chromatic scale to visually convey the relative intensity of the internal bending moment at nodes spaced over the length of the structure. It is the authors' intention to also provide the reader with an overall picture of the resources needed to develop AR applications for use in pedagogical settings, the design decision tradeoffs, and practical issues related to deployment. As AR technologies continually improve, they are expected to become an integral part of the pedagogical toolset used by engineering educators to improve the quality of education delivered to engineering students. 

   more » « less
3. How are undergraduate STEM instructors leveraging student thinking?

   https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00336-0  

   Gehrtz, Jessica ; Brantner, Molly ; Andrews, Tessa C. ( February 2022 , International Journal of STEM Education)

   STEM instructors who leverage student thinking can positively influence student outcomes and build their own teaching expertise. Leveraging student thinking involves using the substance of student thinking to inform instruction. The ways in which instructors leverage student thinking in undergraduate STEM contexts, and what enables them to do so effectively, remains largely unexplored. We investigated how undergraduate STEM faculty leverage student thinking in their teaching, focusing on faculty who engage students in work during class.

   From analyzing interviews and video of a class lesson for eight undergraduate STEM instructors, we identified a group of instructors who exhibited high levels of leveraging student thinking (high-leveragers) and a group of instructors who exhibited low levels of leveraging student thinking (low-leveragers). High-leveragers behaved as if student thinking was central to their instruction. We saw this in how they accessed student thinking, worked to interpret it, and responded in the moment and after class. High-leveragers spent about twice as much class time getting access to detailed information about student thinking compared to low-leveragers. High-leveragers then altered instructional plans from lesson to lesson and during a lesson based on their interpretation of student thinking. Critically, high-leveragers also drew on much more extensive knowledge of student thinking, a component of pedagogical content knowledge, than did low-leveragers. High-leveragers used knowledge of student thinking to create access to more substantive student thinking, shape real-time interpretations, and inform how and when to respond. In contrast, low-leveragers accessed student thinking less frequently, interpreted student thinking superficially or not at all, and never discussed adjusting the content or problems for the following lesson.

   This study revealed that not all undergraduate STEM instructors who actively engage students in work during class are also leveraging student thinking. In other words, not all student-centered instruction is student-thinking-centered instruction. We discuss possible explanations for why some STEM instructors are leveraging student thinking and others are not. In order to realize the benefits of student-centered instruction for undergraduates, we may need to support undergraduate STEM instructors in learning how to learn from their teaching experiences by leveraging student thinking.

    

   more » « less
4. An Exploration of How Students Make Use of Hands-On Models to Learn Statics Concepts

   Rupe, Kathryn M ; Davishahl, Eric ; Singleton, Lee ; Borowski, Rebecca S. ( June 2023 , 2023 ASEE National Conference and Exposition)

   This paper describes the results from an ongoing project where hands-on models and associated activities are integrated throughout an undergraduate statics course with the goal of deepening students’ conceptual understanding, scaffolding spatial skills, and therefore developing representational competence with foundational concepts such as vectors, forces, moments, and free-body diagrams. Representational competence refers to the fluency with which a subject expert can move between different representations of a concept (e.g. mathematical, symbolic, graphical, 2D vs. 3D, pictorial) as appropriate for communication, reasoning, and problem solving. This study sought to identify the characteristics of modeling activities that make them effective for all learners. Student volunteers engaged in individual interviews in which they solved problems that included 2D diagrams, 3D models, and worked calculations. Participating students had prior experience with the models and related activity sheets earlier in the course. Data was collected at the end of the quarter and the activities emphasized conceptual understanding. Thematic analysis was used to develop codes and identify themes in students’ use of the models as it relates to developing representational competence. Students used the models in a variety of ways. They wrote directly on the models, touched and gestured with the model, adjusted components, and observed the model from multiple orientations. They added new elements and deconstructed the models to feel the force or imagine how measurements would be impacted if one parameter was changed while all others held constant. In interviews students made connections to previous courses as well as previous activities and experiences with the models. In addition to using the 3D models, participants also used more than one representation (e.g. symbolic or 2D diagram) to solve problems and communicate thinking. While the use of models and manipulatives is commonplace in mechanics instruction, this work seeks to provide more nuanced information about how students use these learning aids to develop and reinforce their own understanding of key concepts. The authors hope these findings will be useful for others interested in designing and refining hands-on mechanics activities toward specific learning goals. 

   more » « less
5. An Exploration of How Students Make Use of Hands-on Models to Learn Statics Concepts

   Rupe, K. M. ; Davishahl, E. ; Singleton, L. ; Borowski, R. S. ( June 2023 , 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   Abstract This paper describes the results from an ongoing project where hands-on models and associated activities are integrated throughout an undergraduate statics course with the goal of deepening students’ conceptual understanding, scaffolding spatial skills, and therefore developing representational competence with foundational concepts such as vectors, forces, moments, and free-body diagrams. Representational competence refers to the fluency with which a subject expert can move between different representations of a concept (e.g. mathematical, symbolic, graphical, 2D vs. 3D, pictorial) as appropriate for communication, reasoning, and problem solving. This study sought to identify the characteristics of modeling activities that make them effective for all learners. Student volunteers engaged in individual interviews in which they solved problems that included 2D diagrams, 3D models, and worked calculations. Participating students had prior experience with the models and related activity sheets earlier in the course. Data was collected at the end of the quarter and the activities emphasized conceptual understanding. Thematic analysis was used to develop codes and identify themes in students’ use of the models as it relates to developing representational competence. Students used the models in a variety of ways. They wrote directly on the models, touched and gestured with the model, adjusted components, and observed the model from multiple orientations. They added new elements and deconstructed the models to feel the force or imagine how measurements would be impacted if one parameter was changed while all others held constant. In interviews students made connections to previous courses as well as previous activities and experiences with the models. In addition to using the 3D models, participants also used more than one representation (e.g. symbolic or 2D diagram) to solve problems and communicate thinking. While the use of models and manipulatives is commonplace in mechanics instruction, this work seeks to provide more nuanced information about how students use these learning aids to develop and reinforce their own understanding of key concepts. The authors hope these findings will be useful for others interested in designing and refining hands-on mechanics activities toward specific learning goals. 

   more » « less