Getting Hands-On Experience From Simple Experiments and Model Development in Thermal-Fluid Courses

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianchang Li ◽  
Jiang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Model Development ◽  
System Model ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Physical Problems ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Major Loss

When the engineering students transition from their sophomore to junior year, they start experiencing a large number of abstract concepts each semester. For most of students who do not have much experience in engineering, it is difficult to link these new concepts to physical problems, and the formulas associated with the new concepts make little or no sense to them. To help students get more experience, hands-on experiments can be effective. This paper first describes several simple experiments that can be demonstrated in classroom and conducted at home. Fluid Mechanics was chosen as a trial course in this study. The experiments are designed to cover the important aspects of Fluid Mechanics such as the minor/major loss of a pipe flow, the drag of an immersed object, and the application of linear momentum equations. The second approach to enhance the learning experience is to make a physical model. For both fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, an open-ended course project was assigned to the students, and the project required the students to develop a system model and complete the analysis. The outcome was evaluated through the student feedback as well as coursework, and the results indicate that this practice can help the students understand the concepts better and sustain their interest in the topics.

Applying Kolb’s Model to a Nontraditional Preservice Teaching Practicum

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Burns ◽  
Patricia Danyluk
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Teaching Practicum ◽  
Preservice Teaching ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Concrete Experience ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Bachelor Of Education ◽  
Hands On Learning

This article reports on the initial findings of an ongoing study that will see six preservice teachers placed in a nontraditional practicum placement as part of their bachelor of education program. Reported here is the examination of emergent professionalism of the initial two preservice teachers during their nontraditional practicum placement on a housing construction site. Emergent professionalism is enacted when teachers shift their concerns from self to other, as described by Fuller. The findings are then examined from the perspective of Kolb’s experiential learning model, including the concrete experience, observation of and reflection on that experience, formation of abstract concepts based upon the reflection, and testing of the new concepts. As a result of this analysis, new insights are shared regarding the ways in which preservice teachers develop their emergent professionalism through examination of the environment, multiple sources of feedback, interdisciplinary lessons, and a hands-on learning environment.

Enhancing Engineering Learning Experience at UTB by Freshmen iHOP

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazmul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Real World ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Senior Design ◽  
Team Selection ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Lower Division

Most of the engineering courses focus more on theory and very little on hands-on, project-based learning in the classroom. Integration of real-world engineering problems and applications in lower division engineering courses will produce engineering students, who will be technically sound and be able to execute and manage real-world projects, when they will do senior design projects in their final year of engineering study. To overcome the engineering design challenges we have developed iHOP (Ingenieŕia Hands on Project) and integrate it with our lower division engineering courses. iHOP has been developed to emphasis the design component at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) Engineering Physics curriculum and the project is now an integral part of Introduction to Engineering class. The iHOP project is one that is challenging, fun, requires teamwork, associated with the engineering material being studied, low cost, and doable in a limited amount of time. The experience from iHOP project motivates our freshman students to choose a better senior design project in senior year of their college career. The objectives of the iHOP projects are — to have students develop teamwork skills, and to teach students basic engineering design concepts in a complementary format to the traditional lecture. Various techniques related to team selection, encouraging teamwork, incorporation of engineering topics, keeping costs down, project results presentations, and gathering feedback from students will also be presented in this paper. Integrating iHOP Project with Introduction to Engineering class helped us to improve our retention effort in the engineering department.

scholarly journals Gaming and Interactive Visualization for Education: A Multi-Disciplinary and Multi-University Collaborative Project

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunjun Xu ◽  
Charles Miekas ◽  
Zahed Siddique ◽  
Chen Ling ◽  
Sagar Chowdhury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Interactive Visualization ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
Module Design

Most people are more perceptive to the geometric rather than the symbolic representation of information. In engineering disciplines, visualization combined with game characteristics can provide an essential mode to facilitate students’ understanding of important and abstract concepts, and improve students’ willingness to learn. In this project, game characteristics are introduced into course module design, but different from commercially available games in that the level of the contents and assessment tools in this project are meaningful to teachers, students, and parents. This paper focuses on the design of the Gaming and Interactive Visualization for Education system. Specifically, some initial design results from the three universities for three different courses plus the development of evaluation system will be presented. The system is expected to (1) offer interactions with gaming scenarios that can excite emotions, (2) provide an engaging learning experience of understanding engineering concepts by allowing students to visualize and interact with 3-D objects in a game scenario, (3) employ situated learning by exposing students to the type of challenges they will face in industry, and (4) fit better with the learning styles of the majority of engineering students.

scholarly journals Development of computer media for interactive learning on the course of application fluid mechanics in the study program of D3 mechanical engineering

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-122
Author(s):  
Adi Bandono ◽  
Okol Sri Suharyo
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Interactive Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Student Questionnaire

The purpose of this research, in general, is to design and develop interactive learning media in the fluid mechanics' course of applications for D3 mechanical engineering students at the Indonesian Naval Technology College (STTAL) to solve learning problems and improve student competence so that independent students can be formed in the learning process. The specific purpose of this research is to produce an interactive learning media, an alternative learning experience that can be accessed anywhere and anytime so that it can provide a deeper understanding and to assess the process and learning outcomes of the fluid mechanics subject in STTAL mechanical engineering D3 study programs. This research uses the R n D, development model. The process of developing interactive learning computer media is carried out in several stages, starting from identification of potentials and problems, data collection, product design, design validation by material experts and media experts, design revision, and product testing. Data analysis was obtained from the results of filling out the checklist by each expert and student questionnaire. To determine the effectiveness of interactive learning computer media in improving learning outcomes used data analysis using the t-test. The subjects of this research are students of the D3 Mechanical Engineering STTAL study program and the research objects to be developed are fluid mechanics applications. The benefit of this research collaboration is a form of sharing of expertise so that it is expected to obtain output in the form of measuring the quality of the fluid mechanics' course application for students of the STTAL mechanical engineering D3 study program in the form of interactive learning media on learning application fluid mechanics courses.

scholarly journals Directar: Teaching the basics of Cinematography Using Augmented Reality as Learning Tool

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Andres Bastidas Arteaga
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Visual Language ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Learning Tool ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Nursing Training

This paper examines the development of an augmented reality app that will be used as a tool for people interested in learning the conventions of cinematography. Augmented reality has demonstrated its value in various aspects of education, from helping highschoolers learn abstract concepts of chemistry, to medical and nursing training. DirectAR merges augmented reality with tried and tested visual language concepts in order to give its users a hands-on learning experience. This is possible due to the creation of AR characters that serve as models with which users of this app are able to grasp concepts by actually putting them into practice

scholarly journals Towards Simulation Aided Online Teaching: Material Design for Applied Fluid Mechanics

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Gonca Altuger-Genc ◽  
Yue Han ◽  
Yegin Genc
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Material Design ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Online Setting

Learning is shifting from synchronous in-class settings to asynchronous online platforms in an attempt to make education accessible to wider audience. However, certain vital components of engineering education, such as laboratory work and hands-on practices, are harder to conduct online. Understanding how technology can help offering such components online can impact the quality of online education a great deal. The goal of this study is to improve the effectiveness of online courses in engineering. Particularly, we aim to transform some of the hands-on practices that are fundamental for engineering education into online setting. We first explored existing literature and found that real-time experimentation can be carried out with the help of online modules. We then designed two simulations for a fluid mechanics lab. We expect these simulations to be used to support teaching and evaluation of fluid mechanics through various assignments that utilize these simulations.  This study surveys how online modules have been studied in effort to relax the time and location constraints of in-class education. Drawing upon the literature review it proposes a novel approach to incorporate simulations to ground learning of abstract concepts such as buoyancy.

Hands-On Experiences for Problem Solving in Engineering Education Based on Trees and Plants

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Vargas-Silva ◽  
Mariappan Jawaharlal
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Education ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Plant Kingdom ◽  
Conflicting Objectives ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Learn Problem

We teachers know that problem solving is a crucial skill for our students. It is indispensable for developing original and creative thinking. We also know that deep learning of engineering fact can be assisted by using non-conventional tools and heterodox ideas for teaching, learning and presenting technical concepts. On that sense, we propose that engineering students could learn how to solve hands-on problems from nature; in particular from the plant kingdom. In addition, we engineers should not turn our back to nature. We should start a new voyage of discovery, seeking new landscapes with a different outlook. But how? The present paper presents an approach to integrate trees and plants into engineering education to learn problem solving hands-on experiences. The aim of this approach is to teach engineering design using trees in the local area with an emphasis on structural strategies. Students taking courses such as statics, dynamics, strength of materials, stress analysis, material science, and design courses can benefit tremendously from studying trees. Furthermore, this approach provides an exciting opportunity for students to understand the complexities of real world living systems, appreciate the genius of nature’s design, and develop methods to create sustainable designs. We think that those kind of natural realistic problems are complex: they have conflicting objectives, multiple solution methods, non-engineering success criteria, non-engineering constraints, unanticipated issues, interactions, collaborative activity systems, and multiple forms of problem representation. From an educational point of view, using a tree can bring tremendous practical benefits for problem solving in engineering education. Trees are everywhere, and they can easily integrate them into the classroom. Trees offer unlimited potential for teaching and research. For example, each student will have a different tree, and there are plenty of them, so each problem will be original and creative for each student providing a genuine learning experience. The present work puts on view a new development for teaching structural mechanics based on plant biomechanics, i.e. the study of the structural strategies of plants (and trees). The goal is to understand and emulate structures and functions of the plant kingdom to develop structural solutions in engineering. Therefore this paper presents teaching results and novel concepts for problem solving in engineering education, seeking new landscapes.

Teaching Database Courses to Engineering Students

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abe Zeid
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Approach ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Undergraduate Level ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Hands On ◽  
New Perspective

The teaching of databases to engineering students at the undergraduate level has proven challenging for multiple reasons. First, the course is a nontraditional engineering course. Second, the concepts of databases are highly abstract. Third, engineering students prefer the problem-solving, hands-on, and project-based method of learning over the coverage of database design concepts. Fourth, there is a lack of engineering-oriented database textbooks. This paper presents an effective teaching approach that overcomes these challenges. The approach mixes and integrates the database abstract concepts with hands-on and capstone-based learning activities. The approach incorporates engineering students' feedback during the course. The paper discusses the database course objectives, content, project requirements, the skill set students learn, the software tools they use, and assessment tools. Sample projects and students' comments are included. The paper concludes with some observations that can be useful to use in traditional engineering courses to provide a new perspective of teaching in engineering.

scholarly journals Battlespace Next(TM)

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-70
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Flack ◽  
Alan Lin ◽  
Gilbert Peterson ◽  
Mark Reith
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Card Game ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
Technological Complexity ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
And Control ◽  
And Training

Changes in the geopolitical landscape and increasing technological complexity have prompted the U.S. Military to coin the terms Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) as over-arching strategy to frame the complexity of warfare across both traditional and emerging warfighting domains. Teaching new concepts associated with these terms requires both innovation as well as distinct education and training tools in order to realize the cultural change advocated by senior military leaders. Battlespace NextTM (BSN) is a serious game designed to teach concepts integral to MDO and initiate discussion on military strategy while conserving time, money, and manpower. BSN, a Collectable Card Game (CCG), is engineered to provide an engaging learning tool that educates on capabilities in a multi-domain conflict. This paper proposes an extensible game framework for modeling and reasoning about MDO concepts and presents our empirical feedback from over 120 military play testers evaluating a moderate to difficult version of the game. Results reveal the game teaches MDO concepts and delivers an engaging, hands-on learning experience. Specifically, we provide evidence it improved military readiness in seven areas of MDO in at least 62% of participants and 76% of respondents reported they enjoyed playing the game.

scholarly journals Directar: Teaching the basics of Cinematography Using Augmented Reality as Learning Tool

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Andres Bastidas Arteaga
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Visual Language ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Learning Tool ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Hands On Learning ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Nursing Training

This paper examines the development of an augmented reality app that will be used as a tool for people interested in learning the conventions of cinematography. Augmented reality has demonstrated its value in various aspects of education, from helping highschoolers learn abstract concepts of chemistry, to medical and nursing training. DirectAR merges augmented reality with tried and tested visual language concepts in order to give its users a hands-on learning experience. This is possible due to the creation of AR characters that serve as models with which users of this app are able to grasp concepts by actually putting them into practice

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