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

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig
Keyword(s):  
Study Skills ◽  
Material Science ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Work Load ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Inverted Classroom ◽  
Course Assessment ◽  
Classroom Techniques ◽  
High Work Load

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.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Peer-to-Peer Lecture Films in Inverted Classroom Teaching Scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Work Load ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Video Production ◽  
First Year ◽  
Inverted Classroom

At HTW Berlin, Germany first year mechanical engineering students are taught material science as one of the fundamental courses with high work load in a blended learning environment with flipped classroom elements. Therefore peer-to-peer lecture films were established as source of theoretical background knowledge provided for self-study periods. Because the teaching method “inverted classroom” and class results directly relate to the quality of the video material one of the columns of lecture video production is the involvement of students in the lecture film production. First year students directly benefit from their fellow student learning experience, needs and perspective on teaching material. From the lecturers perspective students were generally more active and better prepared during class resulting in better grades. Practice examples introduce and evaluate both, the teaching method and videos.

scholarly journals The Use of an Open-Ended Project to Improve the Student Experience in First Year Programming

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Hulls ◽  
Chris Rennick ◽  
Sanjeev Bedi ◽  
Mary Robinson ◽  
William Melek
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Introductory Programming ◽  
The University

Prior to 2010, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering students at the University of Waterloo were taught an introductory programming course using C++ in first year. Historically, the emphasis was on learning syntax; practising problem-solving was a distant second priority. In addition, many students were noticeably disengaged in lectures, and the assessments used were not authentic.Starting in 2010, a course project was implemented to address these concerns. The project was immediately well received by students, as evidenced by a noticeable number of students going well beyond the minimum project requirements and the variety of projects implemented. Since the project was introduced, the students have been able to successfully answer less structured final exam questions. The increase in problem-solving and thinking skills more than offsets the reduction in language-specific facts. The logistics, challenges and resources required to implement a project of this scope will be described

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

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Content Management ◽  
Online Course ◽  
First Year ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Inverted Classroom ◽  
Language Difficulties ◽  
Dual Careers

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.

scholarly journals Improving Learning Outcome for GSL (German as a Second Language) Students in a Blended Learning Cumulative Assessment Material Science Course

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-100
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Material Science ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Work Load ◽  
Migration Background ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
Inverted Classroom ◽  
Improved Learning

First year students especially with migration background and language deficiencies rate material science in mechanical engineering as one of the fundamental courses with high work load and necessity of language skills due to the descriptive nature of the course. Therefore a blended learning course structure using based on inverted classroom teaching scenarios was established. Heart of the self-study period are visualizing peer-to-peer lecture films supported by micro-lectures along with various online teaching materials. Although students with migration background generally scored lower in tests due to the lack of language skills improved learning outcomes are demonstrated in high quality class discussions and in overall understanding. This paper introduces the learning structure and graded activities, evaluates the course and compares results of native German-speaking students to those of students with migration background.

scholarly journals COMPARISON OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE WHEN SOLVING A THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE AFTER IMPLEMENTING AN ALTERNATIVE TEACHING METHOD

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Abelló ◽  
Douglas Ruth
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Thermodynamic Cycle ◽  
First Year ◽  
Similar Question ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Alternative Teaching ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The University

Abstract –First-year engineering students at the University of Manitoba take a thermodynamics course.  The summer instructor taught the course differently from the fall and winter terms. He combined tutorials with lectures to introduce active learning to the course, implemented an online problem library and increased the number of term tests. Students in the summer 2016 term were given a similar thermodynamic cycle question in their final exam as students in the winter 2016 term. Student performance inthe cycle question was compared in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the new teaching method. Both groups had similar question averages with generally similar question score histograms. However, winter students scored an average of 10% below their GPA, while summer students scored an average of 1% below their GPA. The difference between these averages is statistically significant (97.5% confidence). These results suggest that the new teaching approach leads to better student performance when solving thermodynamic cycles.  

scholarly journals PILOT OF A SERIES OF ONLINE RESOURCES TO HELP STUDENTS TRANSITION TO FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Ostafichuk ◽  
Carol P. Jaeger ◽  
Quentin Golsteyn ◽  
Susan Nesbit
Keyword(s):  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Academic Transition ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Difficult Time

Transitioning from high school to university can be a difficult time for students. A significant element in this transition is related to heightened selfresponsibility and self-regulation for one’s own learning. A series of eight online screencasts (consisting of narrated video with activities and quiz questions) was created and introduced at the University of British Columbia in 2018 as a pilot project. The goal was to help first year engineering students with their academic transition by providing evidence-based principles of effective study strategies and attitudes. Materials were delivered in the academic setting, rather than through traditional orientation and support channels, as a way to elevate this content and to reach as many students as possible. Materials were optional but a small grade incentive was included. Students appear to have found the resources beneficial as roughly half of the class viewed at least half of the screencasts. The opportunity to earn a small course bonus mark was cited as a key incentive, but approximately half of students identified academic and university transition benefits as their primary reasons for viewing. A course survey conducted five months after the final screencast in the series revealed positive student attitudes towards the materials, with approximately 70% of students identifying the materials as helpful or very helpful. In addition, students who had viewed a particular screencast gave significantly more favourable responses in prompts regarding perceptions of effective study practices. Finally, a positive correlation was observed between the number of screencasts viewed and course final exam grade (+0.8% on the final per screencast viewed). Overall, the results of this pilot suggest the use of online screencast materials to aid students in the transition to university is effective.

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

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Pfennig
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Method ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
First Year ◽  
Carbon Phase ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Inverted Classroom ◽  
Contact Hours ◽  
General Phase ◽  
Lecture Videos

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.

AN ENGINEERING DESIGN PROJECT TO PROVIDE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seach Chyr (Ernest) Goh ◽  
Sumi Siddiqua
Keyword(s):  
Engineering Design ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
First Year ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Sustainable Engineering ◽  
Design Project ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
The University

First year engineering students at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, take the Fundamentals of Sustainable Engineering Design course as part of the suite of common courses for all engineering students regardless of discipline. The largest assessment components of the course are the final exam (40%) and the design project (40%). For the design project, teams of 4 – 6 students build a scaled-down prototype of a Well Ventilated yet Energy Efficient Room (WeVeyEER) that must be able to maintain its interior temperature at 10°C above ambient and at the same time continuously exchange stale air from within with fresh air from outside. It also has to meet load-bearing, size and power supply constraints. The energy consumption, rate of air exchange and weight are parameters for comparing performance of the prototypes. The majority of teams (55 out of 64) could achieve the requirements. Feedback about the project was mixed, with 57 positive and 56 negative comments.  

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