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There is overwhelming research evidence showing that students often struggle with learning key engineering concepts. The Low-Cost Desktop Learning Modules (LCDLMs) are model prototypes of standard industry equipment designed for students to learn some fundamental but abstract engineering concepts in the classrooms. Previous results have shown that students who interact with LCDLMs tend to outperform those who engage in traditional lectures. However, little is known about student profiles and their forms of engagement with this tool. Hence, the present study seeks to investigate the different student profiles that emerge from students working with the LCDLM and the demographic factors that influence student engagement with the tool. Participants (N = 1,288) responded to an engagement survey after working with LCDLMs in engineering classrooms in several states around the United States. We then used a latent profile analysis (LPA) – an advanced statistical approach – to better understand the representation of learner engagement profiles resulting from their self-reported learning engagement beliefs as they reflect on their experience in using LCDLMs. The LPA revealed five distinct profile types – disengaged, somewhat engaged, moderately engaged, highly engaged, and fluctuating engagement. Results showed that those who are more interactive and actively engaged with the LCDLM scored higher on their questionnaire compared to those who passively engaged with the LCDLM. We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.
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Work in Progress: Glucose Analyzer Learning Module for Chemical Engineering Education Theory
The goal of the greater project is to provide students with hands-on learning experiences while removing cost as a barrier to participation. Our Low-Cost Desktop Learning Modules (or LCDLMs) help students visualize and experience engineering concepts where books prove less than adequate and provide class members with the opportunity to learn as a group and collaborate with one another. LCDLMs have been found to improve motivation and attention while providing direct and vicarious learning opportunities, encouraging information retention in a learning environment. The goal of this paper is to introduce the latest LCDLM in development, for glucose analysis, which will mark the first LCDLM to feature a chemical reaction. In this paper we will also go over future work to be done to make the glucose analyzer viable for classroom use. The new module will feature a glucose solution meant for analysis, a set of reagents to convert the solution from transparent to a red-violet color of intensity correlated to the glucose concentration, and a simple apparatus students can use to read the concentration of the sample. The apparatus is meant to be used to teach students multiple engineering concepts through visual demonstration. In this LCDLM concept, chemicals from a set of reservoirs flow through a transparent microfluidics mixing chamber, which leads to a colorimetric reaction based on the amount of glucose present, teaching students about kinetics and, to a lesser extent, microfluidics. Dissolved oxygen is a limiting reagent, which will demonstrate to students the relevance of stoichiometry and mass transfer in a closed system. The mixture then collects in a chamber with two transparent sides. Green light passes through the red solution and into the lens of a smartphone camera to measure the intensity of the light. This is meant to demonstrate Beer’s law and complimentary colors. The more light that can pass through, the lower the glucose concentration. Students will need to measure a series of solutions with varied but known concentrations, construct a calibration curve, and then find an unknown solution concentration based on where an absorbance reading falls on the curve, modeling a routine wet lab test but without the need for expensive instrumentation. Prototyping is needed before a definitive version can be implemented in the classroom. The final design for the analyzer, how it will be assembled, parts to be used, etc., is being determined, and up-to-date results will be presented. The geometry of the mixing chamber with attached reservoirs for adding reagents must be optimized for small samples. The plan is to design a 3D model in SolidWorks and then cut out a prototype from an acrylic sheet with a laser cutter. The prototype will then be tested for leaks. The module itself will consist of the channel sheet glued between two other sheets, making assembly straightforward.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1821679
- PAR ID:
- 10545061
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Society of Engineering Education
- Date Published:
- Edition / Version:
- Work in Progress
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Portland, Oregon
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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As this NSF LCDLM dissemination, development, and assessment project matures going into our fourth year of support we are moving forward in parallel on several fronts. We are developing and testing an injection-molded shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat transfer concepts, an evaporative cooler to expand to another industrial-based heat exchange system, and a bead separation module to demonstrate principles of fluid mechanics in blood cell separations applications. We are also comparing experimental data for our miniaturized hydraulic loss and venturi meter LCDLMs to predicted values based on standard industrial correlations. As we develop these new learning components, we are assessing differential gains based on gender and ethnicity, as well as how students learn with existing LCDLMs in a virtual mode with online videos compared to an in-person hands-on mode of instruction.more » « less
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Hands-on experiments using the Low-Cost Desktop Learning Modules (LCDLMs) have been implemented in dozens of classrooms to supplement student learning of heat transfer and fluid mechanics concepts with students of varying prior knowledge. The prior knowledge of students who encounter these LCDLMs in the classroom may impact the degree to which students learn from these interactive pedagogies. This paper reports on the differences in student cognitive learning between groups with low and high prior knowledge of the concepts that are tested. Student conceptual test results for venturi, hydraulic loss, and double pipe heat exchanger LCDLMs are analyzed by grouping the student data into two bins based on pre-test score, one for students scoring below 50% and another for those scoring above and comparing the improvement from pretest to posttest between the two groups. The analysis includes data from all implementations of each LCDLM for the 2020-2021 school year. Results from each of the three LCDLMs were analyzed separately to compare student performance on different fluid mechanics or heat exchanger concepts. Then, the overall pre- and posttest scores for all three LCDLMs were analyzed to examine how this interactive pedagogy impacts cognitive gains. Results showed statistically significant differences in improvement between low prior knowledge groups and high prior knowledge groups. Additional findings showed statistically significant results suggesting that the gaps in performance between low prior knowledge and high prior knowledge groups on pre-tests for the LCDLMs were decreased on the posttest. Findings showed that students with lower prior knowledge show a greater overall improvement in cognitive gains than those with higher prior knowledge on all three low-cost desktop learning modules.more » « less
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Hands-on experiments using the Low-Cost Desktop Learning Modules (LCDLMs) have been implemented in dozens of classrooms to supplement student learning of heat transfer and fluid mechanics concepts with students of varying prior knowledge. The prior knowledge of students who encounter these LCDLMs in the classroom may impact the degree to which students learn from these interactive pedagogies. This paper reports on the differences in student cognitive learning between groups with low and high prior knowledge of the concepts that are tested. Student conceptual test results for venturi, hydraulic loss, and double pipe heat exchanger LCDLMs are analyzed by grouping the student data into two bins based on pre-test score, one for students scoring below 50% and another for those scoring above and comparing the improvement from pretest to posttest between the two groups. The analysis includes data from all implementations of each LCDLM for the 2020-2021 school year. Results from each of the three LCDLMs were analyzed separately to compare student performance on different fluid mechanics or heat exchanger concepts. Then, the overall pre- and posttest scores for all three LCDLMs were analyzed to examine how this interactive pedagogy impacts cognitive gains. Results showed statistically significant differences in improvement between low prior knowledge groups and high prior knowledge groups. Additional findings showed statistically significant results suggesting that the gaps in performance between low prior knowledge and high prior knowledge groups on pre-tests for the LCDLMs were decreased on the posttest. Findings showed that students with lower prior knowledge show a greater overall improvement in cognitive gains than those with higher prior knowledge on all three low-cost desktop learning modules.more » « less
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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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Accepted Manuscript1.0
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