Enhancing active learning through groupwork activities in engineering tutorials

Engineering curricula worldwide have emphasized on the usage of groupwork as one method of improving the interpersonal and teamwork skills among the graduates. These activities, in which students teach and learn from each other, provide ways for students to explore new paths and consolidate understanding. One method of enhancing active learning during tutorial classes is through collaborative or groupwork activities assingned to students of Semiconductor Devices Course at Faculty of Electrical Engineering. During tutorials students were divided into groups, Each group consisted of four students. Each group was assigned different problem-solving activities on the topics that had been taught in lectures. The studens were given half an hour to discuss among themselseves to solve the tutorial problems which were given accodingto Bloom's Taxanomy consisting of understanding, knowledge, application and analysis. Then representative of each group would present on the board on how to go about solving their work activity by defining the problem, drawing diagrams and solving the mathematical problems involved. As the students presented their work, the lecturer would guide them along, if they got stuck with it until they finally be able to solve the tutorial problem and learned a lot from each other and from the lecturer on the subject matter that had been taught in classes. This whole scenario of activities were implemented for every tutorial lesson from the beginning till the end of the semester for class EE2105B of semester July to December 2010, until each sudent had the chance to participate presenting. At the end of the semester survey questions were given to find out the students' perceptions on this collaborative active learning in engineering tutorials regarding cognitive, communication skills and their acvhievement. It was found that over 90 % of the students agreed that groupwork activities had enhanced their cognitive and social skilss. They agreed on the benefits of groupwork tutorial activities that could encourage active learning and the opportunities of improving communication skills.