James M. Widmann

Work in progress - learning styles and performance on the dynamics concept inventory

Recently, a great deal of attention has been paid to conceptual knowledge in engineering. Although professors can be quite good at teaching students how to choose the appropriate equation and calculate an answer, often these students do not come away from the course with a deep conceptual appreciation of the material. The current study investigates if certain types of learning styles correlate to student conceptual learning in undergraduate dynamics.

Conceptual Design Theory in Education Versus Practice in Industry: A Comparison Between Germany and the United States

The early stages of product development are arguably the most important in the design of successful products. This paper describes different approaches to the conceptual design phase of product development, how they are taught to undergraduate engineering students, and how they are practiced in industry both in Germany and in the United States. The authors note that teaching the early stages of product development to future engineers at German Universities is more focused on methodology and processes. In the United States teaching design is more about being creative and overcoming individual constraints in order to find good and unconventional concepts. To understand how the conceptual phase is implemented in industry, the authors interviewed 16 companies in Germany and the United States. A thematic analysis was performed on the responses. In German industry, the authors observe uncertainty about how to apply process management in the very early stage of product development where different concepts are developed and evaluated. In U.S. industry most companies do not claim to follow a process during the early stage of concept development. Observing the differences between what is taught to engineering students in school and what is practiced in industry some conclusions recommendations are drawn. The observations demonstrate a weakness in process reliability during the early stage of product development both, in German and U.S. industry that should motivate academia to adapt its pedagogy in order to enable future engineers to create successful concepts.Copyright

Capstone experiences: Effects of adapted physical activity design projects on attitudes and learning

Eight innovative senior level capstone engineering projects were completed at California Polytechnic State University (2008-present) involving (n=28) students (23 male/5 female). All projects involved the design of equipment to facilitate physical activity for people with disabilities. The effects on: i) learning design, ii) attitude towards people with disabilities, and iii) motivation to complete team design projects were analyzed through eight one-hour focus groups. This paper presents focus group findings using a constructivist approach and grounded theory to explore the overall student “learn by doing” experience. Results: (1) Approximately 19 (70%) of the students claimed the adapted physical activity project was their “first choice” given 60+ projects to rank; (2) Prior to the project only ten (35%) had experience working with people with disabilities and of those students the majority were women; (3) Twenty-six (92.8%) of the students were able to define ‘inclusion’ when asked and viewed the field of engineering as a ‘natural fit’ with project design for adapted physical activity. Students reported high levels of motivation for learning design as evidenced by the majority of engineers getting their “top” choice of projects; (4) Twenty-three (82%) of the engineers would ‘definitely’ consider a future engineering job in this sector and (5) Project challenges included: budget constraints, group communication, fabrication delays, detachment from client, and a desire for increased product testing time. Although students reported high levels of learning and motivation to complete their project; attitudes toward people with disabilities did not change significantly.

The role of collaborative inquiry in transforming faculty perspectives on use of reflection in engineering education

During the 2014-2015 academic year, engineering faculty members and students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) met monthly in a collaborative inquiry dialogue group to discuss the role of reflection in transforming engineering education. This project is part of the larger Consortium to Promote Reflection in Engineering Education (CPREE) headed by the University of Washington. In this paper we describe the activities of the Cal Poly group involved with CPREE and how these activities have transformed the thinking and actions of participants. Collaborative inquiry dialogue involves self-organizing individuals into a small group to address a compelling question through repeated cycles of experimentation and reflection on the results of that experimentation. In this context, the faculty members involved (including the authors of this paper) have been meeting to discuss how use of reflection in the classroom and/or in a collaborative inquiry dialogue amongst colleagues might lead to transformation in engineering education practice and outcomes. The dialogue group serves as a safe container that allows for the possibility of transformational insights by participants - insights that change their view of themselves, the world, and their relationship to it. Using a qualitative self-report methodology in the tradition of an action research paradigm, we (the authors) reflected on what we believed we had gained from the collaborative inquiry dialogues. Broadly we have noticed that participation in the collaborative inquiry dialogue has led us to reconsider what reflection is and what it could be, to develop a greater appreciation for the role of reflective practices in engineering education, and to better recognize when reflection is occurring (and when it might not be) such that reflective behaviors can be encouraged and practiced. We also began to challenge assumptions we had made about our teaching practices and have noted that the collaborative inquiry provides an environment in which development of new thinking is possible.

Mini-workshop — Inquiry based learning activities: Hands on activities to improve conceptual understanding

The primary goal of this mini-workshop is to assist participants in creating Inquiry Based Learning Activities (IBLAs) that promote better conceptual understanding for their students. This is part of more general goal of transforming engineering classrooms into more interactive formats that promote student engagement and lead to improved student outcomes. Specifically the workshop will introduce participants to the theoretical basis of IBLAs, provide examples of successful IBLAs and finally participants will develop their own IBLAs designed to repair common student misconceptions in the courses they teach. Through a highly interactive hands- on environment, participants are expected to leave this mini-workshop with: 1) Knowledge of the educational foundations of IBLAs, 2) A thorough understanding of the elements of IBLAs, 3) Experience working with several research-tested and classroom-proven IBLAs and 4) A preliminary design of an IBLA for one of their courses, reviewed by the workshop facilitators and participants. The workshop is intended as a forum for educators to learn about and to create innovative and research-based best practices to transform engineering education.