Developing A Flexible Materials Testing Curriculum For Future Engineers

Engineering students as future maker of things will face the challenge of keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies and staying up-to-date with the latest innovations in their field. To cope with these demands a flexible course concept is developed for an undergraduate Materials Science lab course: Materials Testing at HTW Berlin based on a blended learning teaching concept implementing inverted classroom lecture scenarios. High quality micro modules are defined that may individually be combined or restructured and therefore offer sufficient flexibility to match the individual scientific background of the lecturer, the course learning outcome, main study subject or actual need based on recent developments. The Moodle course offers different teaching materials, such as micro-lectures, guided questionnaires, lecture and lightboard videos, H5P-activities, etc. Lecturers will find detailed information on the course concept but independently decide on the main aspect of their individual teaching and are therefore granted time for various activating methods in class. With providing well-arranged individual work packages the pressure especially for lecturers from industry - who are teaching on their full time jobs - is relieved and they have more time to interact with students involving them in future common engineering challenges

Successfully planning and implementing peer-to-peer lecture films – “Making it work”

[EN] Since summer 2015 lecture videos are implemented in “inverted classroom” teaching scenarios to teach material science to first year students studying mechanical and automotive engineering at HTW Berlin. Lecture videos so far cover subjects such as material testing, corrosion, composites, defects in crystals, hardening mechanisms and materials families. These videos were initially inspired by students. Each semester a set of lecture videos is conducted during a one term semester project supervised by lecturers and film experts (peer-to-peer approach). The peer-to-peer approach is an important aspect because students` needs and their perspective on teaching material is directly included in the videos. Recordings of lectures were also successfully implemented teaching general phase diagrams and the iron-carbon-phase diagram. Both, lecture films and recordings of lectures were used to study themes after class, prepare for classes (inverted classroom scenarios) and the final exam. Students are familiar with videos as learning source, enjoyed to work independently and not only according to contact hours and were generally more active and better prepared during class resulting in better grades. The teaching method “inverted classroom” and class results directly relate to the quality of the video material. Practice examples introduce the teaching method and evaluation of both, videos and teaching method.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Pfennig, A. (2018). Successfully planning and implementing peer-to-peer lecture films – “Making it work”. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 37-44. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.7503OCS374

How flipped classroom teaching methods in first year studying succeed

[EN] Flipping the classroom is a method to let students study the science on their own and then take time to discuss their questions and do extended hands-on lectures or exercises in class – or in the case of the covid-19 pandemic during plenary online sessions. First year mechanical engineering students use different teaching materials (mainly lecture videos, lightboard videos and micro-module lectures) to study from a distance and comprehend the principle underlying science in theory. Then the online plenary lectures offer the opportunity to apply their knowledge and transfer different scientific aspects of the course to get the bigger picture. Exercises, worked solutions, self-assessed tests and peer-instruction during present time help students to check on their learning progress. However, the self-study periods and (online) plenary sessions need to be guided carefully. To meet the course learning outcome and overcome the diversity of a first year class various practical leads have to be fulfilled to turn flipped classroom teaching into success.Pfennig, A. (2021). How flipped classroom teaching methods in first year studying succeed. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1211-1218. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.12792OCS1211121

“MAKING IT WORK” – PRACTICE EXAMPLES OF PREPARATION AND EMBEDDING PEER-TO-PEER LECTURE FILMS IN SUCCESSFUL INVERTED CLASSROOM SCENARIOS

Embedding lecture videos in “inverted classroom” teaching scenarios has been proven successful in teaching material science to first year mechanical and automotive engineering students at HTW Berlin. These videos covering difficult scientific background knowledge such as precipitation hardening, duplex steels, materials testing and heat treatment as well as lattice defects, composits and corrosion were initiated from students needs and learning experiments. Therefore a student project was defined for production of lecture films each semester supervised closely by the lecturer and film expert. This peer-to-peer approach is essential because the students immediately include their own learning experience and strategy into the set of films and therefore directly implement their perspective and scientific needs within the digital teaching material. Along with recording of lectures the lecture films provide for excellent self-study material suitable for inverted classroom scenarios. Because students already use videos as learning source they appreciated the possibility work independently, appeared active, well prepared and motivated given the self-study period was facilitated well and the contents were in alignment with the overall learning outcome of the course. Also, the quality of the lecture videos influences the learning behavior. Here, sequences of the teaching method are qualitatively evaluated by practice examples encouraging lecturers to get started with digital learning material and the inverted classroom teaching method

Flipping the classroom and turning the grades – a solution to teach unbeloved phase diagrams to engineering students

[EN] Phase diagrams may simply be described as alloying maps in material science. However, the required thermodynamic background knowledge is high level and understanding the cooling procedure of metal melts as well as microstructure of metal alloys is challenging. Common teaching material presents results, but not how to get there and leaves frustrated first year engineering students behind. Knowledge on “how to read” phase diagrams is expected from teachers in advanced courses, but requirements are seldomly met by the students. Teaching phase diagrams in “inverted classroom”szenarios is a method to let the students study the science on their own and then take time to discuss their questions and do extended hands on lectures or exercises in class. Implementing the inverted classroom approach has been proven to be successful in terms of learing outcome, problem solving skills related to phase diagrams and in improving grades. Although the time of preparation is raised by a factor of approximately 4 for 2 four-hour classroom sessions, the positive and sustainable learning outcomes make it fun to teach and worth the effort.Pfennig, A. (2017). Flipping the classroom and turning the grades – a solution to teach unbeloved phase diagrams to engineering students. En Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 73-81. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.4935738

Lessons learnt – The role of peer-to-peer lecture films in a first year material science laboratory course

At HTW Berlin material science is taught to first year students in combination with laboratory exercises on materials testing. Still, basic knowledge upon theory is necessary to work practically during lab sessions. Therefore homework reading is assigned and additionally lecture films guide students through the laboratory routine prior to class. Initially inspired by students these lecture films were conducted during a one term student semester project according to the peer-to-peer approach supervised by lecturers and film experts. Since establishing the lecture films in summer semester 2015 time consuming explanations were redundant and the students were prepared better gaining more knowledge during practical work than those who did not have access to the films. After watching the introductory films download activities increased and online lectures were prepared carefully. However, the initial increase in final test results is not valid taken into account all grades from 2015 up to now. Still, even if the academic output is not better with our without the implementation of lecture films, the better handling of laboratory equipment and the more smoothly running lab courses account for at least a part time success.Pfennig, A. (2020). Lessons learnt – The role of peer-to-peer lecture films in a first year material science laboratory course. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):9-16. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.10953OCS91630-05-202

Meeting diversity during the covid-19 pandemic in a fully online learning environment

[EN] Diversity among engineering students is growing more and more acknowledgeable in higher education – especially in first year classes where in applied universities students from many backgrounds form new classes. Differences in education (high school, job training, dual careers, etc.) are as common as various social aspects (family duties, etc.) that delay full time studying. This challenges students as well as lecturers especially in the covid-19 pandemic of 2020/2021. A standard based portfolio grading enables students to participate and place different skills in their cumulative assessment. The online course structure using Moodle as content management system (CMS) is based on inverted classroom teaching scenarios. These are supported by peer-to-peer lecture films and micro-lectures along with various online teaching materials and online meeting sessions. The portfolio cumulatively grades lectures, presentations, forum discussions, written homework and glossary entries. Although benefits of present classes are obvious the course results improved over previous semester especially for students with language difficulties. This paper reflects on the possibility to meet diversity in the covid-19 pandemic and enable first year mechanical engineering students to grow more homogeneous regarding scholarly work.Pfennig, A. (2021). Meeting diversity during the covid-19 pandemic in a fully online learning environment. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 735-742. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.12793OCS73574

Getting Started – Hands-On Producing Lecture Films

Lecture videos are more and more implemented in higher engineering education to be used widely by students because very often literature only presents results but not how to get there. Lecture videos may close this gap and visualize the sometimes obvious but still hard-to-understand scientific background. To attract students and become a fully accepted learning material these videos need to be of a certain standard. Based upon our 8 years of experience it is important is to involve students directly into the concept and making-of (peer-to-peer approach), because students` needs and their perspectives on teaching material are directly included in the videos. To encourage lecturers in engineering this workshop provides a short guidance to look at the peer-to-peer approach and more important basic needs and requirements of the lecture film production and “just get started”. Good lecture videos may successfully be produced with low threshold

Improvement of learning outcome in material science through inverted classroom techniques and alternative course assessment

[EN] Material Science is known to first year mechanical engineering students as one of the fundamental courses with high work load. The knowledge of the complex science of materials enables students to select appropriate engineering materials in different designs due to acquired knowledge on the correlation of materials properties, microstructure and their intended manipulation. These abilities are not well constituted in one final exam. Therefore peer-to-peer lecture film supported inverted classroom szenarios were estabilished to work in the course. These were accompanied by a newly developed moodle course following the blended learning approach that gives students the chance to cumulative accomplish micro-grades via multiple activities, such as tests, lectures, presentations, forum discussions, written homeworks and glossary entries. These grades are summed to obtain the overall course grade. Improved learing outcomes are demonstrated in high quality class discussions and most -important to students- in better grades (average 43/60=B) compared to those being assessed by one final exam only (average 39/69=C+). The majority of students agreed on enhanced study skills when forced to study throughout the entire semester instead of learing intensely towards the end of the semester. This paper introduces the learning structure as well as graded activities, evaluates the course and compares activity results to former class results.Pfennig, A. (2017). Improvement of learning outcome in material science through inverted classroom techniques and alternative course assessment. En Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 82-90. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD17.2017.4936829

Design and manufacturing of a LIGHTBOARD - Combining the peer-to-peer idea with project based teaching

[EN] For lecturers in higher education it is a great challenge to involve students into critical thinking, carefully pondering solutions to mechanical engineering problems. Project based teaching gives the opportunity to gain both, higher learning outcome and self-reliant study skills. During fourth semester mechanical engineering a guided one semester project (180 hours workload, 6 ECTS) related to a complex real engineering problem focussing on customer demands and possible solutions. It comprised of the design and manufacturing of a lightboard – a “learning glass panel” consisting of a high quality optiglass panel which is surrounded by LED lights. As on regular whiteboards a lecture may be given and filmed directly writing on the 16:9 screen glass panel with flourescent pens – the lecturer always facing the audience. This lightboard project directly involves students in the production of a teaching device (peer-to-peer approach) and the teaching method is regarded beneficial in terms of students` learning outcome and self-reliance as well as engineering skills. However, the work load is very high and grading is insuffient. Therefore the method and the role of a lecturer as facilitator is discussed.This project was performed with financial contribution of the Lehrefonds at HTW Berlin.Pfennig, A. (2023). Design and manufacturing of a LIGHTBOARD - Combining the peer-to-peer idea with project based teaching. En 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'23). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 929-936. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd23.2023.1606092993