CDIO papers - teaching and learning

Active Learning Games de Weck, Hassan

Active Learning in Materials Science and Engineering Goodhew, Bullough

Adoption of Active Learning in a Lecture-Based Engineering Class Hall, Waitz, Brodeur, Soderholm, Nasr

Implementing Project Based Learning Using CDIO Concepts Pee

Implementing Product Data Management in Product Development Projects Månsson, Nyberg

Problem-Based Learning in Aerospace Engineering Education Brodeur, Young, Blair

Problem-Based Learning in Professional Education Brodeur

Recommendations to Address Barriers in CDIO Project-based Courses Andersson, Edström, Eles, Knutson - Wedel, Engström, Soderholm

Scultping the Sculptor: Designing a Faculty Support Program for New CDIO Member Institutions Steyn

Survey of Laboratory Exercises within the Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering (Y) program at Linköping University. Gunnarsson, Eles, Krantz-Rülcker, Frykman

The Use of "How Does it Work?" Type Projects in a Mechanical Engineering Program Oosthuizen

Using Concept Maps and Concept Questions to Enhance Conceptual Understanding Darmofal, Soderholm, Brodeur

Active Learning Games. By Olivier de Weck and Rania Hassan This paper discusses active learning games as a potentially important pedagogical technique in support of formal classroom education. A brief review of the active learning literature is given, followed by a list of known active learning games relevant to the CDIO engineering education context. As a specific example of an active learning game we present the learning objectives, rules, and implementation of a “Genetic Algorithm Game” that is used to introduce this class of evolutionary optimization algorithms to graduate students. Genetic algorithms do not require mathematically advanced formulations. Nevertheless, many students are experiencing conceptual difficulties in understanding the abstract nature of genetic operators and how the algorithm is able to successfully search complex design spaces for good solutions. We have found that playing the “Genetic Algorithm Game” during class is an effective tool that helps students experience and reinforce the inner workings of genetic algorithms. This activity enhances conceptual learning and initial student feedback has been very positive. This paper was presented at the CDIO Annual Conference, 06-09 June 2005, Kingston, Ontario. They are posted here by permission of the author(s).
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Active Learning in Materials Science and Engineering. By P. J. Goodhew and T. J. Bullough Active learning is not only a key element of CDIO syllabi, but is expected to increase student motivation, commitment and retention. The incorporation of active learning elements into a materials engineering programme is considered by means of three example modules. The implications of introducing these modules into a materials programme is discussed in terms of five Ts – their titles, testing, teamwork, timetabling and the totality of the student experience. This paper was presented at the CDIO Annual Conference, 06-09 June 2005, Kingston, Ontario. They are posted here by permission of the author(s).
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Adoption of Active Learning in a Lecture-Based Engineering Class. By Steven R. Hall, Ian Waitz, Doris R. Brodeur, Diane H. Soderholm, and Reem Nasr In 1999, the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT expanded its repertoire of active learning strategies and assessment tools with the introduction of muddiest-point-in-the-lecture cards, electronic response systems, concept tests, peer coaching, course Web pages, and Web-based course evaluations. This paper focuses on the change process of integrating these active learning strategies into a traditional lecture-based multidisciplinary course, called Unified Engineering. The description of the evolution of active learning in Unified Engineering is intended to underscore the motivation and incentives required for bringing about the change, and the support needed for sustaining and disseminating active learning approaches among the instructors. Presented at the ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Boston, MA, USA, 06-09 November 2002. Available here through the courtesy of the American Society of Engineering Education.
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Implementing Product Data Management in Product Development Projects. P. Månsson, D. Nyberg The purpose of this thesis work is to change and develop the Product Development course, given to master level students at Chalmers, in line with the requirements CDIO and the examiner have set up for the education. As part of this a product data management system was implemented in the PD course to better prepare students to perform design activities in a software environment often used in industry. This paper is a Master of Science thesis presented 19 December 2002.
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Implementing Project Based Learning Using CDIO Concepts. By S. H. Pee To prepare our students for the knowledge economy, a new education model which aims to provide our students with a more balanced and holistic education integrating the teaching of (i) domain knowledge with (ii) people and process skills and (iii) values & ethics is being developed in Singapore Polytechnic. New innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment that promote creativity and authentic learning are being explored. After learning about the CDIO concepts and realizing the potential of cultivating students with the desired skills, a pilot programme incorporating CDIO concepts into project-based learning was implemented in the Singapore Polytechnic in 2003. The projects were developed using CDIO theories where students worked through conceive, design, implement and operate stages. In these projects, students in a class of 20 are required to build an artifact that comprises sensors and control algorithms. So far, three cohorts of students have completed their projects. As the projects developed were highly innovative and creative, the local news program had featured some of the students’ innovations. Besides completing the projects, students also developed other attributes such as creative and critical thinking, resourcefulness and learning to learn traits. This paper was submitted to the CDIO Annual Conference, 06-09 June 2005, Kingston, Ontario but not presented. They are posted here by permission of the author(s).
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Problem-Based Learning in Aerospace Engineering Education. By D. Brodeur, P. Young, K. Blair Problem-based learning is now a widespread teaching method in disciplines where students must learn to apply knowledge, not just acquire it. In the undergraduate curriculum in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, problem-based learning and design-build experiences are integrated throughout the program. In an early freshman-year experience, Introduction to Aerospace and Design, students design, build, and fly radio-controlled lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles. In the sophomore-year Unified Engineering course, students design, build, and fly radio-controlled electric propulsion aircraft. In a course on Aerodynamics, a case study from either industry or government is used to provide an authentic problem. Upper-level capstone courses are entirely problem-based. In these PBL experiences, students identify problems of interest to them and experiment to find solutions, as well as design complex systems that integrate engineering fundamentals in a multidisciplinary approach. This paper describes several problem-based learning experiences in undergraduate aerospace engineering at MIT within a four-level framework for categorizing problems. It presents the learning theories that underlie the success of PBL, identifies the basic characteristics of PBL, critical features in the design of problems, and effective methods for assessing PBL. Presented at the ASEE Conference, Montreal, Canada, 16-19 June 2002.Available here through the courtesy of the American Society of Engineering Education.
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Problem-Based Learning in Professional Education By D. Brodeur
Interest in problem-based learning arose in higher education in response to criticism that programs in professional areas, e.g., medicine, engineering, failed to equip graduates with the problem-solving skills required for a lifetime of learning. Problem-based learning derives from the theory that learning is a process in which the learner actively constructs knowledge. This presentation uses examples from undergraduate aerospace engineering at MIT to present learning theories that underlie successful PBL, identify critical features in the design of problems, and suggest effective methods for assessing PBL experiences. Presented to the American Association of Higher Education, San Diego, CA, USA, 2 April 2004.
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Recommendations to Address Barriers in CDIO Project-based Courses. By Sven Andersson, Kristina Edström, Petru Eles, Madelaine Engström, Maria Knutson-Wedel, Diane H. Soderholm This report is presents the findings from an examination of several project-based courses at three universities in Sweden and one in the United States. Specifically the report contains recommendations for possible solutions to common barriers to teaching and learning in courses in which students work in pairs or groups to complete projects. In addition to recommendations, actual tools and resources are included to assist faculty who are planning or running project-based courses. (Dec. 2003)
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Scultping the Sculptor: Designing a Faculty Support Program for New CDIO Member Institutions. By Dolf Steyn The University of Pretoria is a new member to CDIO but not new to engineering education. The drive to align our activities to reasonably correspond to international engineering education methods, is not an isolated incident, but part of a continuous cycle of didactic evolution. The CDIO initiative does however present an opportunity and impetus to this quest. The people factor in faculty members may at times leave some of them unconvinced and even unequipped to deal with the challenges modern engineering education presents. Changes are required from the methods lecturers themselves experienced as students and while most staff would readily acknowledge the fact that they are primarily engineering specialists and not didactic experts, the nature of the task at hand call for mastery of both disciplines.
This paper reports on an initiative at the University of Pretoria to identify faculty needs in this regard. It also reflects the necessary interventions to support faculty in not only changing their own approaches where necessary, but in taking the lead to ensure that our learners’ abilities reflect the necessary competence. This paper was presented at the CDIO Annual Conference, 06-09 June 2005, Kingston, Ontario. They are posted here by permission of the author(s).
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Survey of Laboratory Exercises within the Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering (Y) program at Linköping University. By S. Gunnarsson, P. Eles, T. Krantz-Rülcker, P. Frykman A survey concerning the laboratory exercise activities within the Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering (Y) program at Linköping University is presented. The aim of the survey has been to view the laboratory exercises from a CDIO perspective. Sixty-four laboratory exercises have been covered by the survey. The main conclusions are that "verification and/or illustration of principles" and "verification and testing" are the activities most often found in the laboratory exercises, while activities like "design" and "formulation of goals and specifications" are less common.
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The Use of "How Does it Work?" Type Projects in a Mechanical Engineering Program. By Patrick H. Oosthuizen “How Does It Work?” type project involve a student or a group of students being assigned an engineering device or system to study. They must gather information about how it works, on how it is implemented and on whether any problems have been encountered with the device or system during its operation and they must then prepare a report and/or presentation on their findings. In gathering the required information, the students must use the Web and books including handbooks and manuals, consult with trades-people involved with maintaining and repairing devices or systems of the type being considered and they must arrange to view examples of the device or system and take suitable photographs to complement the other information they have gathered. The latter requires that examples of the device or system be in use within a reasonable distance of the academic institution at which the student is studying. Devices and systems that are suitable for such projects are often in use by the academic institution itself. Examples of suitable project topics are discussed in this report and some details of typical projects of this type are discussed here. A discussion of the way in which “How Does It Work?” type projects can be incorporated into design and engineering science courses to help illustrate the practical application of the course material is also presented. The advantages and disadvantages of projects of this type will also be discussed. This paper was presented at the CDIO Annual Conference, 06-09 June 2005, Kingston, Ontario. They are posted here by permission of the author(s).
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Using Concept Maps and Concept Questions to Enhance Conceptual Understanding. By D. armofal, D. Soderholm and D. Brodeur Conceptual understanding is the ability to apply knowledge across a variety of instances or circumstances. Several strategies can be used to teach and assess concepts, e.g., inquiry, exposition, analogies, mnemonics, imagery, concept maps, and concept questions. This paper focuses on the last two -- concept maps and concept questions. Concept maps are two-dimensional, hierarchical diagrams that show the structure of knowledge within a discipline. Concept questions are questions posed to students to encourage higher order thinking and help them understand the basic principles of a discipline. This paper describes progress at MIT in the development and use of concept maps and concept questions in aerospace engineering. Presented at the ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Boston, MA, USA, 06-09 November 2002. Available here through the courtesy of the American Society of Engineering Education.
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