DISCUSSION TOPIC: How Can Active Learning Become More Widespread in Engineering Education? The following slides relate to (1) a set of active-learning exercises used in a course in fluid mechanics and (2) how active-learning techniques developed by one faculty member were able to be used by another. Slides from a presentation associated with ASEE Paper AC-2008-207.

2. ACTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING EXERCIES FOR A FIRST COURSE IN FLUID MECHANICS AC 2008-207 Stephen R. Turns, Laura L. Pauley, and Sarah E. Zappe PENN S TATE 2008 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition June 22-25, 2008

3. WELCOME TO ME 320! FLUID DYNAMICS

4. ABOUT ACTIVE AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING Richard Felder says: “ In the traditional approach to college teaching, most class time is spent with the professor lecturing and the students watching and listening. The students work individually on assignments, and cooperation is discouraged.

5. ACTIVE AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING - Continued Such teacher-centered instructional methods have repeatedly been found inferior to instruction that involves active learning , in which students solve problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain, debate, or brainstorm during class, and cooperative learning , in which students work in teams on problems and projects under conditions that assure both positive interdependence and individual accountability.”

12. From the instructor: Students are given a handout with this information: v 1 = [0.95 gh 1 ( t )] 1/2 v 2 = [0.95 gh 2 ( t )] 1/2

15. Table 1. Class Time Required for the Exercises

16. Table 2. Specific Nature of the Exercises

17. Table 3. Specific Topics Treated by the Exercises

18. Table 3. Continued

19. Table 4. Student Collaboration

20. These exercises can readily used and/or adapted by other instructors – LLP experience: Concerns How do I add active learning? What are the mechanics? Will I lose control of the class? Will students stay on task? Outcomes Ability to gage students understanding Greatly enhanced student participation Additional preparation time minimal (maybe zero)

21. Assessment Rate the effectiveness of the in-class, active-learning exercises to the overall learning experience in this class. 1 = Lowest rating 7 = Highest rating Rating ≤ 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fall 2007 0% 3% 12% 19% 44% 22% ( N = 73) Fall 2006 0% 13% 7% 7% 27% 47% ( N = 15)

22. Assessment - Continued Comparison of Final Examination Scores with and without Active Learning Treatment Average Score Std. Dev. t -Test ( p -value) Without 78.94 11.92 -2.228 (0.024, df = 109) With 83.87 10.75

24. Photo Credits Slide 2: (a) NASA, (b) NOAA, (c) General Electric Slides 4 & 5: PSU-LV Learning Center (c) 2005 Theo Anderson