Spartan Daily, March 10, 1997

Volume 108, Issue 32https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/9108/thumbnail.jp

The role of pedagogical tools in active learning: a case for sense-making

Evidence from the research literature indicates that both audience response systems (ARS) and guided inquiry worksheets (GIW) can lead to greater student engagement, learning, and equity in the STEM classroom. We compare the use of these two tools in large enrollment STEM courses delivered in different contexts, one in biology and one in engineering. The instructors studied utilized each of the active learning tools differently. In the biology course, ARS questions were used mainly to check in with students and assess if they were correctly interpreting and understanding worksheet questions. The engineering course presented ARS questions that afforded students the opportunity to apply learned concepts to new scenarios towards improving students conceptual understanding. In the biology course, the GIWs were primarily used in stand-alone activities, and most of the information necessary for students to answer the questions was contained within the worksheet in a context that aligned with a disciplinary model. In the engineering course, the instructor intended for students to reference their lecture notes and rely on their conceptual knowledge of fundamental principles from the previous ARS class session in order to successfully answer the GIW questions. However, while their specific implementation structures and practices differed, both instructors used these tools to build towards the same basic disciplinary thinking and sense-making processes of conceptual reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and metacognitive thinking.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

Lecture-Centred or Student-Centered: A Case Study in a Public University

This study is aimed to investigate the current practice of teaching methods among lecturers in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. A total of 357 lecturers participated in this study. The result showed that the general practice was influenced by lecturer’s field and years of teaching experience, not gender, qualification and designation. Comparing the specific teaching methods applied in three fields, it found that lecturers in science and technology used lecture and discussion much more frequently than those from engineering and social science. Among the six specific teaching methods, discussion and lecture were the most frequently used teaching method, which is scored significantly higher than the other four teaching methods. However, an interesting finding was reported  when  lecturers were asked to rate their preference in the six specific teaching methods.  Lecture was rated at the lowest level of preference but it was reported as one of the most frequently used teaching method. It may imply the changes on lecturers’ perspectives. Discussion method obtained the highest preference score, which is also applied frequently in current teaching practice. Keywords: general teaching practice, teaching method, lecture

Engineering Society: The Role Of Intersectional Gender And Diversity Studies For A Sustainable Transformation On The Case Of Interdisciplinary Engineering Education

Technological innovations are impacting societies in manifold ways and can accelerate a transformation toward sustainability. To enable a sustainable transformation through engineering, engineers educated to create technological solutions for global challenges must be educated in sustainability principles as postulated under ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ (ESD) in the Agenda for Sustainable Development. In technological fields, the ecological, as well as the economical perspective of sustainability, are often addressed, but as recent research has highlighted, sustainability needs to be addressed holistically; this means including the social dimension to a greater degree and applying an intersectional understanding of gender and diversity throughout all spheres of sustainability. It is therefore imperative for engineering students to learn and understand where gender and diversity are necessary for sustainability, how diversity dimensions intersect, and which intersections are particularly relevant for novel technologies and societal development. Accordingly, this paper sketches an interdisciplinary approach for applying intersectional gender and diversity studies in the context of a sustainable transformation of engineering education. We draw on our experience of having educated engineers accordingly for a decade at the GDI (Gender and Diversity in Engineering) at RWTH Aachen University. Selected examples from our teaching practice are presented and six general maxims are deduced that can make engineering education more sustainability-oriented, inclusive, and diverse. As we will conclude, fostering innovative and inclusive engineering education needs interdisciplinary teams adhering to our proposed six maxims to accelerate a genderand diversity-sensitive sustainable transformation

Implementing a Freshman Engineering Design Experience at the University of Washington

[EN] A project-oriented introductory engineering design course has been developed within the University of Washington’s College of Engineering to enhance the first-year student experience. The role of engineering was de-mystified, explaining the difference between trade specialists and engineers. The students learned that the “art of engineering” is in solving complex problems. Throughout the course, students learned about programming, computer-aided design, and 3D printer technology to assist in the development of team projects. As each new prototype was unveiled, teams learned important lessons about the transition from conception to implementation. One of the biggest outcomes of the course was learning to work effectively in teams. At the end of the course, each team was assessed not only on quality of design project but also team efficacy. The students developed their professional socialization skills while preparing technical reports and oral (PowerPoint and poster) presentations. On the closing day of the program, students presented their group projects in front of campus and industry partners.Fabien, B.; Vereen, K. (2017). Implementing a Freshman Engineering Design Experience at the University of Washington. En Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1343-1352. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.56031343135