Scenario-Based Learning: Helping Students See Relevance Keywords: engineering design & analysis, professional preparation of engineers, active learning, case studies, context Scenario-Based Learning: Helping Students See Relevance Samantha R. Brunhaver, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Polytechnic School Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Arizona State University
Why? Problem: Core engineering courses are traditionally slow to adopt project-based learning and other innovative pedagogies These courses typically provide a poor approximation of engineering practice, which can affect students’ persistence and engagement Educational Objectives: By analyzing real-life engineering scenarios, students can understand how the knowledge and skills gained in their courses apply to actual engineering decisions This approach can also reinforce other learning objectives key to the preparation of engineers and expose students to different engineering pathways
of a Camera Shutter Mechanism When? Personal History with the Innovation: Course Scenario Short Description ENGR 14: Intro to Solid Mechanics (Fall 2012, Stanford, with Drs. Sheri Sheppard & Mark Schar) Design and Analysis of a Skateboard Use the concepts of forces and stresses to design a skateboard. Choose materials and a supplier that will meet the listed requirements. EGR 201: Use-Inspired Design I (Fall 2014, Arizona State, with Drs. Adam Carberry, Nadia Kellam, & Thomas Sugar) of a Camera Shutter Mechanism Using numerical methods, determine the optimal spring stiffness for the shutter mechanism on a disposable camera. Justify your choice using the listed requirements. EGR 217: Engineering Mechanics Fundamentals (Spring 2015, Arizona State) of a Truss Bridge Use FEA to design a truss bridge that meets the listed requirements (including cost and weight). EGR 572: Quantitative Methods for Engineering Education Research (Fall 2016, Arizona State, with Dr. Jennifer Bekki) Analysis of Concept Inventory (SCI) Data (among many others) Conduct a statistical analysis to determine whether an intervention to improve students’ performance on the CI was successful. Would you recommend repeating it? What is the developmental history of your innovation?
Where? Institutional Partners: Adopted from solid mechanics course taught as a Teaching Assistant in graduate school at Stanford Current partners include Stanford, ASU, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of California-Merced Curricular Unit: Began as a hybrid case study-lab assignment Currently forms the basis of an entire graduate course Used with both undergraduate and graduate students Could be implemented as a single class or a full course
What? Learning Activities/Materials: Students provided with 2-4 page narrative describing the problem, supplemented by class lectures and discussion Each problem requires students to balance constraints, analyze real data, and compare multiple solution paths Undergrads work in teams on worksheets designed to scaffold their progress Graduate students design their own analyses and draw their own conclusions to answer an open-ended question Successes: Overall feedback from students has been positive Students report enjoying the experience of role-playing the engineer and hands-on simulation (i.e., Kolb’s learning by doing, 1981) Assignments also helpful in assessing learning Instructor can determine whether students can actually solve a problem, rather than just apply equations (i.e., Bloom’s Taxonomy, 1956)
Prognosis? Documenting Impact: Student course evaluations Journal articles (IJEE) & conference papers (ASEE, REES) Scaling Up (partners wanted): Interested in scaling to other core engineering courses Interested in scaling to other universities Current Challenges (advice appreciated): Student resistance to the “non-technical” aspects (e.g., balancing constraints, making decisions) Faculty resistance to the time necessary to develop each scenario (teaching materials, notes, etc.)