Implementing project-based and experiential learning in the Aerospace Engineering program at Concordia University

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharine Marsden ◽  
Susan Liscouet-Hanke ◽  
Andrea Cartile
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Aerospace Engineering ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Learning From Experience ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Design Engineers ◽  
The University

Experiential learning can be defined as“learning from experience or learning by doing”. Theeffectiveness of the experiential learning techniquedepends on both the design and the implementation of the experience. The learning experience must be carefully designed so that students do not learn by rote but rather are obliged to self-teach, discover, and use engineering judgement to arrive at conclusions. Student interest and their perception of the project as being authentic and representative of the “real-world” is important for engagement. In this paper, the authors discuss the development and implementation of experiential and project-based learning in the new undergraduate aerospace engineering program at Concordia University.The paper describes a unique series of experientiallearning experiences that have been implemented in thefirst, third, and final years of the program. Two of theauthors are former aerospace industry design engineers,and a unique feature of the program is a blend of fieldbased experience and classroom-based learning made possible by collaborations with industrial partners and organizations external to the university

scholarly journals Success factors in the realization of large ice projects in education

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-12
Author(s):  
Arno Pronk ◽  
Peng Luo ◽  
Qingpeng Li ◽  
Fred Sanders ◽  
Marjolein overtoom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Success Factors ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The North ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Good Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Ice Shell ◽  
Motivation And Learning

There has been a long tradition in making ice structures, but the development of technical improvements for making ice buildings is a new field with just a handful of researchers. Most of the projects were realized by professors in cooperation with their students as part of their education in architecture and civil engineering. The following professors have realized ice projects in this setting: Heinz Isler realized some experiments since the 1950s; Tsutomu Kokawa created in the past three decades several ice domes in the north of Japan with a span up to 25 m; Lancelot Coar realized a number of fabric formed ice shell structures including fiberglass bars and hanging fabric as a mold for an ice shell in 2011 and in 2015 he produced an fabric-formed ice origami structure in cooperation with MIT (Caitlin Mueller) and VUB (Lars de Laet). Arno Pronk realized several ice projects such as the 2004 artificially cooled igloo, in 2014 and 2015 dome structures with an inflatable mold in Finland and in 2016–2019, an ice dome, several ice towers and a 3D printed gridshell of ice in Harbin (China) as a cooperation between the Universities of Eindhoven & Leuven (Pronk) and Harbin (Wu and Luo). In cooperation between the University of Alberta and Eindhoven two ice beams were realized during a workshop in 2020. In this paper we will present the motivation and learning experiences of students involved in learning-by-doing by realizing one large project in ice. The 2014–2016 projects were evaluated by Sanders and Overtoom; using questionnaires among the participants by mixed cultural teams under extreme conditions. By comparing the results in different situations and cultures we have found common rules for the success of those kinds of educational projects. In this paper we suggest that the synergy among students participating in one main project without a clear individual goal can be very large. The paper will present the success factors for projects to be perceived as a good learning experience.

scholarly journals How Entrepreneurship Can Be Learned through Experiential Learning Formats, Especially through Training Firms

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-481
Author(s):  
Anne Heinze
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Entrepreneurial Training ◽  
The Impact

A look at entrepreneurship education research shows that there are basically two types of entrepreneurship courses: First, courses for entrepreneurship and second, courses about entrepreneurship such as lectures, formal seminars, individual essays etc. Most of the latter courses can be characterized as teacher-centric where the student involvement is passive. From a more modern perspective and in order to train entrepreneurs trying, experimenting and learning about one's own experience is crucial. More innovative approaches, such as project-based learning, action-based learning and experiential learning, therefore, are gradually appearing on the scene In this context, within the last few years some universities have introduced training firms, mostly for students of economics and business. In Germany, due to a lack of legal possibilities training firms at public universities are still a rarity and therefore under-researched. Thus, the research question for the present contribution is how informal learning can be structured using training firms, and what effects this has on the preparation of learners for later professional practice and / or self-employment. Therefore, the methodology for this paper is first to review the literature related to entrepreneurial learning in order to better understand the informal learning experience in training firms. Second, the case of a communication design agency for students around HTW Berlin, a public university for applied sciences, is analyzed to gain insight into the impact that practice firms can have on entrepreneurship education in general, and in particular in non-business subjects. For this purpose, a case study has been developed based on interviews, which include both the perspective of the students and of the trainer. Overall, the results will show a best practice example of entrepreneurial training and learning in a university context, which can be useful for those involved in the development of course concepts for entrepreneurship education.

scholarly journals Global U: Exploring Curricular Development and Outcomes in Three University of Utah Experiential Learning Abroad Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
Lisa H. Gren ◽  
L. Scott Benson ◽  
Caren J. Frost
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Short Term ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
The University

The University of Utah is a publicly funded, R1 university located in the United States, with a mission statement that includes recognition of its global role, asserting that “. . . we engage local and global communities to promote education, health, and quality of life.” As part of that engagement, the University of Utah has offered learning abroad opportunities since 1967. Approximately 1 in 10 students participates in a global learning experience, and 80% of programs are short term (defined as 10 weeks or less). The pedagogical theories that guide these short-term programs are experiential learning, authentic learning, and intentional targeted intervention. We describe three short-term learning abroad programs in public health and social work—for students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate level—connecting the reported benefits to the pedagogical model and theories used to develop the specific curriculum for these short-term programs. Faculty use a variety of reflective tools to help students learn to function in their new setting (experiential learning); explore and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships as they address real-world problems (authentic learning); and facilitate intercultural growth (intentional targeted learning). The University of Utah has adapted a three-stage model for learning abroad that incorporates principles from these theories to drive program activities: Plan (predeparture), Learn (program participation), and Integrate (postprogram). Immediate benefits to students of participating in a global-learning experience include intercultural learning, personal, and career development. Benefits to faculty include scholarly products in the domains of education and service learning, community-engaged participation, and research.

scholarly journals A comparison of a first and third year UG enterprise unit: lessons from experiential learning and interdisciplinarity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Sanchez-Romaguera ◽  
Robert A Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Interdisciplinary Education ◽  
First Year ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
Enterprise Education ◽  
Growth Of Knowledge ◽  
The University ◽  
University Of Manchester

Drawing from several years of experience, this work describes lessons learnt in designing, delivering and assessing two interdisciplinary enterprise units offered undergraduate students from any discipline studing at the University of Manchester (UK). Both units are electives (optional). One unit is delivered to first year undergrdaute students whereas the other unit is delivered to third/fourth year undergraduate students. Experiential learning and interdisciplinary cohorts are core aspects of both units. Students work on ‘real-world’ projects to develop a credible and competitive solution within a tight dead-line. In this paper, findings are drawn from data collected from staff and teaching assistants observations, students’ reflective diaries and students’ feedback. Findings showed that in general, students at both levels, year 1 and year 3/4, regarded the experience challenging at first due to the ‘unusual’ learning environment when compared to the education that most students have experienced prior to the units here discussed. However, most students highly regarded the interdisciplinary experiential learning experience. The paper contributes to the growth of knowledge and aids understanding of how experiential learning and interdisciplinarity have been effectively combined and introduced in the university curriculum. Although this works focused on enterprise education the experience-based guidance here described is also applicable to a much wider range of situations and academic areas of study. Keywords: Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education; Employability; Experiential learning; Interdisciplinary education;

scholarly journals Learning from experience – a probe into the off-campus internships under the five-year cosmetology technical and vocational education program

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeh Ju-Hsuan ◽  
Tsai-Yun Lo ◽  
Ming-Chang Wu ◽  
Li-Feng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
College Education ◽  
Junior College ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Learning From Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
Academic Year

PurposeThis paper aims to probe into the implementation of internship courses under the five-year cosmetology program in Taiwan from the perspective of Dewey's philosophies in hopes that the analysis can serve as reference for schools in planning their internship courses in the future.Design/methodology/approachThis paper probes into the off-campus internship courses under Taiwan's five-year junior college education program by applying Dewey's empirical philosophy.FindingsThe study aims to understand the learning experience acquired by students from learning by doing internship courses as reference for future internship design. The current internship courses comprise the follows: summer, during the semester and for a full academic year. The experience of summer internship is career exploration, the experience for semester internship is career experience and the experience from academic-year internship is career choice. The internship strategies are designed according to the three different internship approaches, so that the internship courses can implement the educational effect of “learning from experience”.Practical implicationsTo minimize the discrepancy between the cosmetology program under the five-year junior college education and the employment market, credit-based off-campus internship courses are arranged for students' final years at school.Social implicationsThrough on-site trainings, students accumulate work experience and explore into a related career field. The accumulation of experience and gaining of insights mirror the philosophy of learning by doing, which involves students' reflective thinking.Originality/valueIt is hoped that the analysis can serve as reference for internship courses planning in the future.

A UAE case study: experiential learning through effective educational partnerships

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wasif Minhas ◽  
Jo Perret
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
First Year ◽  
Educational Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Organization

Purpose One of the largest higher education institutes (HEI) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and another public sector organization (PSO) responsible for promoting heritage, history and culture in the tourism sector formed an informal partnership in 2012. The purpose of this paper is to give Emirati students an opportunity to undertake projects based on their heritage, communities and develop their skills by experiencing “learning by doing.” Design/methodology/approach Projects briefs were provided by the PSO and followed the curriculum requirements of first year bachelor programs. In February 2013, faculty from different departments within the HEI met with PSO representative to explore how both organizations could collaborate. The conversation also focused on how the PSO could take advantage of readily available resources of creativity and innovation at the HEI. An innovative, cross-discipline, joint-marketing project was developed in line with the curriculum and PSO needs. By June, 2013, all students had undertaken projects which led toward developing recommendations and materials to promote the brief from PSO of “Raising Awareness” and “Increasing Visitor Numbers.” Findings Students from different disciplines produced different elements to meet the brief; however, they all followed a similar approach of research, analysis and evaluation. Although such projects are difficult to manage, staff found they had a profound effect on students’ motivation, personal development and overall learning experience. Originality/value This case study provides an insight into how experiential learning can be fostered through educational partnerships in the UAE context and beyond. It also highlights the importance of technology and informal relationships between partnering institutions.

scholarly journals An Entrance to Exit Polling: Strategies for Using Exit Polls as Experiential Learning Projects

2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (03) ◽  
pp. 501-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Berry ◽  
Tony Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Competitive Learning ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Exit Poll ◽  
University Of Colorado ◽  
The University ◽  
Learning Projects

AbstractEngaging students in the design, administration, and postelection analysis of an exit poll can be an excellent experiential learning activity. Lelieveldt and Rossen (2009) argue that exit polls are a “perfect teaching tool” because they provide students with a cooperative (rather than competitive) learning experience; help students better connect theory, methodology, and course substance; and allow students to move outside of the classroom by branching out into the community. As professors at the University of Colorado, Denver (UCD), we have organized student exit polling during the 2008 and 2010 elections in the Denver area for research methods and elections classes. Although we have found these exit polls to be rewarding experiences for instructors and students alike, the reality is that conducting an exit poll with a group of polling neophytes, in the confines of a single semester, can be challenging. In this article, we discuss strategies and issues for instructors to consider when using an exit poll as an experiential learning exercise.

Using Random Forests to Identify Factors of Student Motivation in a Project-Based Learning Course

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Cooper ◽  
Daria Kotys-Schwartz ◽  
Derek Reamon
Keyword(s):  
Random Forest ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Student Motivation ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Research Focus ◽  
University Of Colorado ◽  
Service Project ◽  
Component Design ◽  
The University

Grounded in motivation theory, the purpose of this research is to use random forest analysis to identify factors of motivation of students who participate in a project-based learning experience. Our research aims to answer: 1) How does project-based service learning affect students’ motivation as compared to conventional (non-service) project-based learning? 2) How are women affected differentially by project-based service-learning? The research, which began in 2011, was completed over a two-year period. The students and activities in Component Design, an existing junior-level course at the University of Colorado at Boulder served as the research focus. Specifically, project-based service-learning curriculum was implemented into a required design and build activity for Component Design students. Using a conventional design project as the control, how the context of project-based service learning affects aspects of student motivation was studied. This paper discusses the research design, theoretical framework, data analysis methods, and random forest results. Our findings indicate that students’ initial non-technical skills were the most important predictor of motivation in the conventional project-based learning experience and that students’ perceived value of the course and the project were the most important predictors of motivation in the project-based service-learning experience.

Engineering Education Through Degree-Long Project: A New Project Based Learning Approach

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Kim ◽  
Teik Lim ◽  
Randall Allemang ◽  
Bob Rost
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Education ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Formula Sae ◽  
Race Car ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
The University

A new pedagogical approach called engineering education through degree-long project has been implemented in the mechanical engineering program at the University of Cincinnati as a part of the NSF CCLI project. The approach integrates selected courses across the undergraduate curriculum of the mechanical engineering program using a degree-long project (DLP) as the theme. Design of Formula SAE® race car was employed as the first DLP. In each course in the sequence, the concept of the DLP approach and the role of the assignment in the course in the overall DLP are explained to students. In early-year courses, assignments are simple problems designed to show how abstract concepts are eventually applied to engineering tasks. In later-year courses, more involved design projects are used aiming at nurturing the ability to solve open-ended engineering problems. In conducting the approach, the most difficult part was developing an interesting and challenging problem which is relevant to practical applications, especially in early year courses. Findings through student evaluations and a stake-holders workshop on the improvement of the approach are discussed.

scholarly journals PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN AN EFL SETTING – A CASE STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. 223-236
Author(s):  
Le Thi Chi Giao ◽  
Bich Dieu Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The University ◽  
Enhanced Learning

Teaching for enhanced learning experience has well-received great interest from many teachers and educators around the world. In the EFL setting, tremendous efforts have been recognized in taking students out of a conventional classroom to experience a new way of learning which stimulates interest and creative thinking, which improves communication and collaborative skills, and which exposes students to more meaningful real-life situations. Project-based learning (PBL) is an answer to this, and it has developed as an alternative to teaching a foreign language with a focus on enhanced learning experience and increased creative teambuilding and group skills through meaningful projects. This paper presents how PBL has been adopted at the University of Foreign Language Studies – the University of Danang (UFLS-UD). It revisits the significance of PBL, the structure of a PBL activity, and reports how PBL has been situated in the local context of teaching English to students majoring in English in Vietnam. The reflections reported here showcase the gains through the path of action research enacted by individual teachers who act as change agents or enablers of this innovative teaching and learning approach and whose efforts have been recognized by means of several adaptations made to bring real life and a sense of community into language instruction.

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