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Although there is extensive literature documenting hands-on learning experiences in engineering classrooms, there is a lack of consensus regarding how student learning during these activities compares to learning during online video demonstrations. Further, little work has been done to directly compare student learning for similarly-designed hands-on learning experiences focused on different engineering subjects. As the use of hands-on activities in engineering continues to grow and expand to non-traditional virtual applications, understanding how to optimize student learning during these activities is critical. To address this, we collected conceptual assessment data from 763 students at 15 four-year institutions. The students completed activities with one of two highly visual low-cost desktop learning modules (LCDLMs), one focused on fluid mechanics and the other on heat transfer principles, using two different implementation formats: either hands-on or video demonstration. To examine the effect of implementation format and of the learning tool used, learning gains on conceptual assessments were compared for virtual and hands-on implementations of fluid mechanics and heat transfer LCDLMs. Results showed that learning gains were positive and similar for hands-on and video demonstrations for both modules assessed, suggesting both implementation formats support an impactful student learning experience. However, a significant difference was observed in effectiveness based on the type of LCDLM used. Score increases of 31.2% and 24% were recorded on our post-activity assessment for hands-on and virtual implementations of the fluid mechanics LCDLM compared to pre-activity assessment scores, respectively, while smaller 8.2% and 9.2% increases were observed for hands-on and virtual implementations of the heat transfer LCDLM. In this paper, we consider existing literature to ascertain the reasons for similar effectiveness of hands-on and video demonstrations and for the differing effectiveness of the fluid mechanics and heat transfer LCDLMs. We discuss the practical implications of our findings with respect to designing hands-on or video demonstration activities.
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Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Next Generation Desktop Learning Modules for Chemical and Mechanical Engineering Education
In this paper we report on the development and testing of hands-on desktop learning modules for transport courses in the Chemical and Mechanical Engineering disciplines. Two modules were developed to demonstrate fluid mechanics-related concepts, while two other modules were created for energy transport in heat exchangers. These devices are small, inexpensive, and made of see-through polycarbonate plastics using injection molding. These desktop learning modules are particularly suitable for use in undergraduate classrooms in conjunction with lectures to illustrate the working mechanism of devices seen in an industrial setting. Experiments are performed to understand the flow behavior and heat transfer performance on these modules. Our results show an excellent agreement for hydraulic head loss, volumetric flow rates, and overall heat transfer coefficients between experimental data and the corresponding theory, justifying the design and use of these devices in the classroom. Furthermore, we have measured student learning gains through pre-and posttests for each module based on in-class implementations at different universities. Assessment of student learning outcomes shows significant improvement in conceptual understanding when these modules are used in the undergraduate class.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1821578
- PAR ID:
- 10354456
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ASEE annual conference
- ISSN:
- 0190-1052
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Although there is extensive literature documenting hands-on learning experiences in engineering classrooms, there is a lack of consensus regarding how student learning during these activities compares to learning during online video demonstrations. Further, little work has been done to directly compare student learning for similarly-designed hands-on learning experiences focused on different engineering subjects. As the use of hands-on activities in engineering continues to grow, understanding how to optimize student learning during these activities is critical. To address this, we collected conceptual assessment data from 763 students at 15 four-year institutions. Students completed activities with one of two highly visual low-cost desktop learning modules (LCDLMs), one focused on fluid mechanics and the other on heat transfer principles, using two different implementation formats: either hands-on or video demonstration. Conceptual assessment results showed that assessment scores significantly increased after all LCDLM activities and that gains were statistically similar for hands-on and video demonstrations, suggesting both implementation formats support an impactful student learning experience. However, a significant difference was observed in effectiveness based on the type of LCDLM used. Score increases of 31.2% and 24% were recorded on our post-activity assessment for hands-on and virtual implementations of the fluid mechanics LCDLM compared to pre-activity assessment scores, respectively, while significantly smaller 8.2% and 9.2% increases were observed for hands-on and virtual implementations of the heat transfer LCDLM. In this paper, we consider existing literature to ascertain the reasons for similar effectiveness of hands-on and video demonstrations and for the differing effectiveness of the fluid mechanics and heat transfer LCDLMs. We discuss the practical implications of our findings with respect to designing hands-on or video demonstration activities.more » « less
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