A First Attempt at Introducing Problem-Based Learning in an Engineering Dynamics Course

T. Khraishi
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

The engineering education literature, and other literature, is rich with references to the importance of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in enhancing the educational experience of undergraduate students. In particular, PBL is supposed to strengthen concept learning in students. Such belief motivated the author to experiment with PBL in a required Dynamics class in the mechanical engineering (ME) department at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Due to the overall size of UNM and its mission, such a class typically involves a relatively large number of students (more than 40 typically). Such an enrollment figure encouraged the PBL experiment further since more interaction among students, or student groups, is probable and at least possible. The author found out that the most difficult part in the PBL experiment was picking one. The other thing found was that an extensive amount of effort went into making the experiment a successful one. The PBL experiment consisted of asking student groups to design an apparatus of some sort that is capable of shooting a golf ball in the air such that it lands in the middle of a sand-filled box at least one meter away. It was vital for the students to build their designs based on concepts learned in their Dynamics class and to explain, by equations, how their design works. The problem statement, as can be inferred, was open-ended and generated a spectrum of response from the students, i.e. different designs of the apparatus. A demonstration of all designs was held at the end of the semester. Although the students’ learning, at least some of them, was enhanced by this experiment, the results did not prove to be as optimistic as initially hoped. Many students made major assumptions, namely neglecting friction in the workenergy equation, without verifying that such an assumption was a good or bad one. Indeed, this assumption turned out to be a bad one for some of the designs. Other problems arose when some groups tried to use a spring mechanism to initiate ball flight. This and other issues like what lessons were learned from this experiment are discussed in the paper.
在工程动力学课程中引入基于问题的学习的首次尝试
工程教育文献和其他文献都大量提及基于问题的学习(PBL)在提高本科学生教育体验方面的重要性。PBL尤其要加强学生的概念学习。这种信念促使作者在新墨西哥大学(UNM)机械工程(ME)系的动力学必修课程中实验PBL。由于新墨西哥大学的总体规模及其使命,这样的班级通常涉及相对较多的学生(通常超过40人)。这样的注册数字进一步鼓励了PBL实验,因为学生或学生群体之间的更多互动是可能的,至少是可能的。笔者发现在PBL实验中最困难的部分是选择一个。另一件事是,为了使实验成功,人们付出了大量的努力。PBL实验包括要求学生小组设计某种能够在空中射击高尔夫球的装置,使其落在至少一米外的一个装满沙子的盒子中间。对于学生来说,基于他们在动力学课上学到的概念来构建他们的设计,并通过方程来解释他们的设计是如何工作的,这是至关重要的。可以推断,问题陈述是开放式的,并产生了学生的一系列反应,即不同的仪器设计。在学期末举行了所有设计的演示。虽然学生的学习,至少他们中的一些人,通过这个实验得到了提高,但结果并不像最初希望的那样乐观。许多学生做出了重大假设,即忽略了功能方程中的摩擦,而没有验证这种假设是好是坏。事实上,对于某些设计来说,这个假设是错误的。当一些团体试图使用弹簧装置启动球的飞行时,其他问题也出现了。本文讨论了这个问题以及从这个实验中学到什么教训等问题。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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