TY - JOUR
T1 - Knowledge-Building Approach to Address Societal Grand Challenge in Large-Enrollment Introductory Materials Science and Engineering Course
AU - Ezeonu, Lotanna
AU - Baxter, Gail
AU - Li, Wei
AU - Lee, Woo
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.
PY - 2022/8/23
Y1 - 2022/8/23
N2 - This work gives details and results of an evidence-based practice adopted for teaching a large introductory engineering course titled: “Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering” (a 3-credit hour course) required for all engineering students in their third year. Historically, this core engineering course has been taught in a traditional teacher-centered way. Over the past several years, we significantly revised course content, design and delivery so students could experience a knowledge-building culture. The goal was to facilitate their development as deep and life-long learners. After coverage of basic materials concepts in the first half of the semester, students are challenged to create and evaluate an authentic idea that would help reduce microplastic pollution in the oceans. A series of learning activities was developed and used to guide students to identify a plastic product of their interest and assess quantitively and critically how the product could be redesigned and/or made with alternative materials. These learning activities include: (1) workshops to guide students through divergent and convergent thinking and equip them with necessary knowledge needed to embark on the project, (2) report development with feedback from undergraduate teaching assistants, and (3) self-reflection to prompt students to think about what and how they learned, and their perceptions of the impact of the knowledge building approach on their learning. Due to large enrollments (over 250 students per semester), Canvas-based digital tools were extensively used to administer these learning activities along with significant contributions from undergraduate teaching assistants. Despite the limitations associated with large enrollments, our experience suggests that the knowledge creation approach can be effective in engaging engineering students in problem-solving, knowledge synthesis, written discourse and reflection that enables deep learning.
AB - This work gives details and results of an evidence-based practice adopted for teaching a large introductory engineering course titled: “Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering” (a 3-credit hour course) required for all engineering students in their third year. Historically, this core engineering course has been taught in a traditional teacher-centered way. Over the past several years, we significantly revised course content, design and delivery so students could experience a knowledge-building culture. The goal was to facilitate their development as deep and life-long learners. After coverage of basic materials concepts in the first half of the semester, students are challenged to create and evaluate an authentic idea that would help reduce microplastic pollution in the oceans. A series of learning activities was developed and used to guide students to identify a plastic product of their interest and assess quantitively and critically how the product could be redesigned and/or made with alternative materials. These learning activities include: (1) workshops to guide students through divergent and convergent thinking and equip them with necessary knowledge needed to embark on the project, (2) report development with feedback from undergraduate teaching assistants, and (3) self-reflection to prompt students to think about what and how they learned, and their perceptions of the impact of the knowledge building approach on their learning. Due to large enrollments (over 250 students per semester), Canvas-based digital tools were extensively used to administer these learning activities along with significant contributions from undergraduate teaching assistants. Despite the limitations associated with large enrollments, our experience suggests that the knowledge creation approach can be effective in engaging engineering students in problem-solving, knowledge synthesis, written discourse and reflection that enables deep learning.
KW - Evidence-based practice
KW - Microplastic pollution
KW - Report development
KW - Self-reflection
KW - Undergraduate engineering
KW - Workshops
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M3 - Conference article
SN - 2153-5965
JO - ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
JF - ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
T2 - 129th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition: Excellence Through Diversity, ASEE 2022
Y2 - 26 June 2022 through 29 June 2022
ER -