Incorporating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiment in Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Laboratory

Flora, Joseph R.V.; Cooper, Adrienne T.

doi:10.1061/(asce)1052-3928(2005)131:1(19)

Cited by 37 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Once the knowledge reaches these higher levels, students are able to internalize it and build on it, especially if the knowledge is reinforced with touch, sight, and sound (Ferri, et al, 2016) Students perceive that inquiry-based laboratory experiences are more beneficial than traditional 'cook-book' labs. Flora and Cooper (2005) found that students in an inquiry-based environmental engineering lab reported a more enjoyable experience than a traditional lab, though no evidence was provided indicating students learned more effectively in their immersive inquiry environment. Other studies have also shown improved student attitude concerning inquiry-based labs (Allen, et al, 1986;Berg, et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness in a Mechanical Engineering Laboratory using Focused Modules

Donnell¹,

Varney²,

MacNair³

et al.

2017 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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IntroductionLaboratory experiments are a mainstay of undergraduate engineering education. Instructional laboratories are used to satisfy a number of learning objectives, and they are often used as a vehicle for assessing ABET student outcomes for design of experiments, solving engineering problems, and using modern tools of engineering as well as other outcomes that are more distant to the experiments themselves; e.g., teamwork, professionalism and ethics, life-long learning, and especially communications. This paper will describe the process of redesigning a juniorlevel mechanical engineering laboratory on measurements and instrumentation at Georgia Tech. Such classes are fairly standard in ME curricula, and they are often structured so that a new measurement technique, or new sensor/actuator is introduced in every lab. Such courses have the advantage of introducing students to a wide variety of instruments and measurement techniques, but they do this at the risk of losing conceptual connections between the weekly projects. This potential problem was compounded by the original format of the labs, which suffered from having large numbers of objectives and activities that were not well integrated. Finally, to accommodate the need for efficiency in our large program (approximately 300 students per semester), the individual lab projects had become procedure-oriented. Confronted with many different types of labs, equipment, deliverables, and styles, students became dissatisfied with the course, complaining about the workload and questioning the importance of what they were learning.The redesign of the laboratory course was primarily motivated by a desire to increase the inquiry-based aspects of the lab and to de-emphasize and/or eliminate rote procedural formats that characterize many lab classes. The redesign was grounded in the theory of cognitive load, in particular, managing the cognitive load so that the ratio of germane cognitive load to extraneous and inherent cognitive load was maximized (Smith and Kosslyn, 2006). This involved several efforts: 1. Pairing down the number of tasks in each laboratory session, keeping only those with highest value, 2. Developing new formats for deliverables that emphasized higher levels of knowledge, 3. Structuring topics into two-week blocks. The latter point is highly important since it decreases the number of new topics that are introduced, but it also allows students the opportunity to think more deeply about the subject matter before moving on to dissimilar topics. The depth of exposure is highly correlated with the students' ability to reach higher levels of understanding as depicted in various knowledge taxonomies (Shavelson, et al., 2005). BackgroundMuch has been written about the nature of engineering labs. As technology changes, many papers have focused on the opportunities to incorporate new sensor technologies, data acquisition, or real-time control. The incorporation of new technologies does not always result in labs that are more sophisticated. Counter-intuitively...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness in a Mechanical Engineering Laboratory using Focused Modules

Donnell¹,

Varney²,

MacNair³

et al.

2017 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Kanter et al introduced inquiry based learning in one biomedical engineering laboratory course and reported very positive results [8]. Flora et al enhanced one introductory environmental engineering course [9]. They found that the open-ended approach was appreciated by the students, particularly female students.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a Curriculum-Spanning Mechanical Engineering Laboratory Experiment

Dillon

Schmedake

Eifler

et al.

2016 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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This paper describes a laboratory experiment that was designed to facilitate education in material science, instrumentation and controls, and thermal sciences. The laboratory module is part of a broader effort to enhance mechanical engineering laboratory curriculum to incorporate modern pedagogical methods and to improve a defined set of student outcomes.The laboratory experiment focuses on a low-cost toaster oven that has been modified to allow students to control temperature and fan operation through either LabVIEW or Arduino systems. The oven experiment has been designed to facilitate long-term testing in the material science laboratory, sensing and control of the temperature in the oven during the mechanical systems laboratory, and precise heating of specimens during the senior level thermal systems laboratory.To assess the effectiveness of the laboratory experiment a student survey was administered and results indicate the new laboratory experiment has been successful in improving student engagement.

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“…To foster such capabilities in students' learning, inquiry-based learning 3,4,5,6 is hailed in the literature as the effective pedagogical approach to allow students to perform like scientists. In this approach, students develop a hypothesis based on previously learned concepts, design and conduct activities, and analyze the results, thus subsequently reinforcing the underlying concepts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a Student Learning Strategy to Bridge Virtual Learning and Hands-on Activity

Namkoong¹,

Yoon²,

Suh³

2016 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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IntroductionRecently, energy security has been a global priority driven by dramatic increases in oil and gas prices. Given a high priority in the U.S. national agenda, solar cell technologies are receiving increased attention to secure energy sources and are undergoing rapid technical advancements. In this sense, strong educational support is vital and current educational curricula should reflect cutting-edge trends and needs in this sector.1 Particularly, students are challenged more than ever to be creative and think critically in order to confront contemporary issues related to solar technologies. Such a demand requires students to be equipped with solid theoretical and practical knowledge as a singular "body of knowledge".2 This is of paramount importance in that scientific discoveries have been made when solid background knowledge of principles, concepts, and theory is synergistically combined with scientific processing skills. To foster such capabilities in students' learning, inquiry-based learning 3,4,5,6 is hailed in the literature as the effective pedagogical approach to allow students to perform like scientists. In this approach, students develop a hypothesis based on previously learned concepts, design and conduct activities, and analyze the results, thus subsequently reinforcing the underlying concepts.

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Incorporating Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiment in Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Laboratory

Cited by 37 publications

References 15 publications

Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness in a Mechanical Engineering Laboratory using Focused Modules

Optimizing Efficiency and Effectiveness in a Mechanical Engineering Laboratory using Focused Modules

Design of a Curriculum-Spanning Mechanical Engineering Laboratory Experiment

Developing a Student Learning Strategy to Bridge Virtual Learning and Hands-on Activity

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