Fourier analysis learning trajectories are investigated in this full paper as a joint interdisciplinary construct for a scholarly collaboration among engineering and mathematics faculty. This is a dynamic and recursive construct for aligning, developing, and sharing research based innovative practices for engineering mathematics education. Towards building more coherence and transfer of learning between engineering and mathematics courses, these trajectories offer experimental practice templates for the interdisciplinary community of practice for engineering mathematics education. Conjectured learning trajectories for Fourier analysis thinking are here articulated and experimented in three courses - Trigonometry, Linear Algebra, and Signal Processing. Informed by the interdisciplinary perspectives from the team, these trajectories help to design instruction to support the complex learning of the mathematical, and engineering foundations for the advanced mathematical concepts and practices such as Fourier Analysis for engineers. The re- sults highlight the impact of collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative practices within and across courses to purposefully build and refine instruction to foster coherence and transfer with learning trajectories across mathematics and engineering courses for engineering majors. This offers a transformative process towards an interdisciplinary engineering mathematics education. The valid assessment and measurement of complex learning outcomes along learning trajectories are discussed for engineering mathematics education, paving the pathway for our future research direction.
more »
« less
SPEERLoom: An Open-Source Loom Kit for Interdisciplinary Engagement in Math, Engineering, and Textiles
Weaving is a fabrication process that is grounded in mathematics and engineering: from the binary, matrix-like nature of the pattern drafts weavers have used for centuries, to the punch card programming of the first Jacquard looms. This intersection of disciplines provides an opportunity to ground abstract mathematical concepts in a concrete and embodied art, viewing this textile art through the lens of engineering. Currently, available looms are not optimized to take advantage of this opportunity to increase mathematics learning by providing hands-on interdisciplinary learning in collegiate classrooms. In this work, we present SPEERLoom: an open-source, robotic Jacquard loom kit designed to be a tool for interweaving cloth fabrication, mathematics, and engineering to support interdisciplinary learning in the classroom. We discuss the design requirements and subsequent design of SPEERLoom. We also present the results of a pilot study in a post-secondary class finding that SPEERLoom supports hands-on, interdisciplinary learning of math, engineering, and textiles.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2100401
- PAR ID:
- 10544764
- Publisher / Repository:
- ACM
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 9798400701320
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 15
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Embodied Interaction Tangible Interfaces Weaving Mathematics Engineering Interdisciplinary Learning
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- San Francisco CA USA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Prior evidence suggests that active, student-centered learning environments can positively influence students’ perceptions of STEM career pathways, and that engineering activities can provide motivational contexts for learning math concepts. However, specific benefits to student proficiency in mathematics via engineering design activities are less well established, with some studies pointing to greater student improvement in mathematical practices than content comprehension. Previous studies also note that math standards can be effectively aligned with hands-on activities, but obstacles may include a lack of teacher confidence with engineering concepts and student aversion of math during engineering activities. This paper details an investigation of the prevalence of mathematics in middle school and high school engineering, particularly with regards to a study of thirty popular activities on the virtual library Teach Engineering. Results show that standards-based math content is clearly integrated into most of the reviewed activities, with math tasks comprising about one-third of the total activity time on average. Notably, the math tasks occur almost exclusively during (e.g., measuring) or after (e.g., plotting data) the hands-on phase of each activity; in other words, math was not used to inform design decisions or make predictions. The study suggests that more readily deployable engineering curricula that utilize math at the front-end of activities may be needed for better integration of all STEM disciplines and to more authentically demonstrate the utility of mathematics in the engineering field.more » « less
-
This study explores the use of mini-fabrication exercises for helping students learn design for rapid prototyping in computer-aided design and prototyping courses in engineering curricula. To this end, we conducted mini-fabrication exercises in ME444 — an undergraduate course at Purdue University. The exercises provide hands-on exposure to design for rapid prototyping principles using simplified design problems. We developed two mini-fabrication exercises in ME444; (i) gear pair design & box design using laser cutting, and (ii) toy catapult design using stereolithography printing. These exercises were tested in a classroom-setting with 51 undergraduate students. Results show the mini-fabrication exercises facilitated students’ learning of geometric dimensioning & tolerancing, part sizing, and material properties in laser cutting and stereolithography printing.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)Classes involving physical making were severely disrupted by COVID-19. As workshops, makerspaces, and fab labs shut down in Spring 2020, instructors developed new models for teaching physical prototyping, electronics production, and digital fabrication at a distance. Instructors shipped materials and equipment directly to students, converted makerspaces to job-shops, and substituted low-tech construction methods and hobbyist equipment for industrial tools. The experiences of students and instructors during the pandemic highlighted new learning opportunities when making outside the makerspace. Simultaneously, the shutdown raised new questions on the limits of remote learning for digital fabrication, electronics, and manual craft. This panel brings together experts in making to discuss their experiences teaching physical production in art, design, and engineering during the pandemic. Panelists will discuss their teaching strategies, describe what worked and what did not, and argue for how we can best support students learning hands-on skills going forward.more » « less
-
more » « less
Abstract Experiential learning in biomedical engineering curricula is a critical component to developing graduates who are equipped to contribute to technical design tasks in their careers. This paper presents the development and implementation of an undergraduate and graduate-level soft material robotics design course focused on applications in medical device design. The elective course, offered in a bioengineering department, includes modules on technical topics and hands-on projects relevant to readings, all situated within a human-centered design course. After learning and using first principles governing soft robot design and exploring literature in soft robotics, students propose a new advance in the field in a hands-on design and prototype project. The course described here aims to create a structure to engage students in fabrication and the design approaches taken by practitioners in a specific field, applied here in soft robotics, but applicable to other areas of biomedical engineering. This teaching tips article details the pedagogical tools used to facilitate design and collaboration within the course. Additionally, we aim to highlight ways in which the course creates (1) opportunities to engage undergraduates in design in preparation for capstone courses, (2) outward facing opportunities to connect with practitioners in the field, and (3) the ability to adapt this hands-on experience within a typical lecture structure as well as a hybrid online and in-person offering, thus expanding its utility in bioengineering departments. We reflect on course elements that can inform future design-based course offerings in soft robotics and other design-based multidisciplinary fields in bioengineering.
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1145/3586183.3606724
