Recitation In Core Engineering Mechanics Courses: Implications For Retention And Student Performance

Abstract

He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. He taught mechanical engineering core courses for more than twelve years; he also teaches internal combustion engines, design of thermal systems, and related courses in the thermal science areas. He is a member of ASEE, SAE, and ASME. Taher Abu-Lebdeh, North Carolina A&T State University Dr. Abu-Lebdeh obtained his doctorate degree in Structural engineering from Louisiana State University. He taught civil and core engineering courses for about twenty years. Dr. Abu-Lebdeh research interests are in civil engineering and highway infrastructures, structural mechanics, and constitutive modeling of material behavior. He had co-authored about 17 papers, and research reports. Of this total, 12 papers have been published after peer review.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Statics Recitation Course

“…Universities have looked to innovative teaching pedagogies to effectively engage engineering students, improve passing rates, and increase retention in their programs. Active learning [2], increased class time [3], recitation [4], project-based learning [5], and peer tutoring [6] are just a few of the methods chosen to enhance traditional lecture-based courses. However, studies for some of these methods point to mixed results when integrated into the main Statics course [3], [5].…”

“…Results from a North Carolina A&T State University study found "a strong direct relation between grades and recitation attendance." It went on to praise recitation's effectiveness at encouraging feedback loops between students and instructors, allowing faculty to tailor lecture material to student needs which resulted in a deeper understanding of the material [4].…”