Increasing System Understanding and Motivation in Students Using Novel Interactive Learning Methods

Abstract

Undergraduate engineering design students face the challenge of proving the durability of complex mechanical systems. Students are burdened with an excess of existing information. The key challenge lies in making a dry subject interesting to undergraduate students to increase fundamental skills and motivate students towards self-determined learning. This paper presents a newly developed didactic approach that uses interactive learning methods for courses with large student numbers to increase learning success. The novel learning concept focuses on improving student motivation using interactive learning methods to achieve the intended learning outcomes and promote selfdetermined learning. Learning methods within the interactive learning concept are applied to prove the durability of welded joints. The paper highlights experiences from teaching practice gained while using these novel interactive learning methods in large engineering courses of more than 900 undergraduate engineering design students.

Using Motivation Theory to Inform Engineering Course Design

“…Design Courses [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [25] Introductory Technical Courses [26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31] Upper Level Technical Courses [32], [33], [34]…”

“…Case Studies, Real-World Labs, Service Learning [26], [32], [15], [17], [28], [34], [31], [35] Course Delivery [26], [27], [29], [36], [37], [30], [33], [38], [39] Assessment [13], [16], [40], [41], [22], [42], [23], [43], [44] Theory Based or Survey Results [11], [45], [46], [47], [10], [19], [48], [1], [39], [49], [24], [25], [50], [51], [52] Out-of-class activities [53], [54], [55], [56], [57], [58] While there have been many successful interventions that improved student motivation discussed in the CEEA 2010-2018 proceedings, the relevant motivation theory behind each intervention is often missing. Understanding motivation theory may not be necessary ...…”