Perspectives from the Classroom - Developing Effective Concept Questions and Collaborative Learning for an Introductory Materials Engineering Course

Kitto, Kathleen L.

doi:10.1109/fie.2006.322327

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…A number of successful steps have already been completed to accomplish this transformation and have been reported elsewhere [1]- [4]. One significant component of this transformation has been the incorporation of concept questions and peer learning opportunities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Although we have reported on and developed several successful concept questions thus far [1]- [3], the process to develop good questions has been challenging as it depends on the discovery of all probable student misperceptions and an indepth understanding of what fundamental ideas and knowledge which the students bring with them to class. The research literature repeatedly tells us that students are "not blank slates" and that we must carefully examine and build upon their prior knowledge as we help them learn new material [8]- [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Analyzing what students write about materials — Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

Kitto

2007

2007 37th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference - Global Engineering: Knowledge Without Borders, Opportunities Without Passp

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Our Introduction to Materials Engineering course is being transformed to an active, learner-centered environment which includes numerous conceptual learning opportunities. Understanding why students fail to understand a certain concept and what to do about it in the classroom requires a deeper analysis than simply recording wrong answers. This paper describes another strategy to find student misperceptions -analyzing student research papers. Students are required to write a research paper that describes why a certain material is used for a particular product; also, it must include an in-depth analysis of the materials properties that are needed for function. Student must reveal what they conceptually know since they have to articulate why a certain material is chosen over another material, or why a new material has replaced another. Thus, those research papers contain a wealth of information about how students think about materials and on a level that is not possible to explore with concept questions or interviews. This paper describes an overview of the course transformation, the research paper, what has been discovered about student misperceptions from the papers, and what changes have been made in the classroom.The paper concludes with assessment information and outlines future tasks.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Analyzing what students write about materials — Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

Kitto

2007

2007 37th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference - Global Engineering: Knowledge Without Borders, Opportunities Without Passp

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Every innovation in engineering education needs to be carefully evaluated and assessed to see if the innovations do indeed lead to the intended outcomes [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52] . The reasons for creating the iCollaborate MSE modules, quizzes and applications are fundamentally three-fold from the students' perspective: improvement in specific learning outcomes, enhanced interest and motivation, and enriched collaborative learning opportunities [53][54][55][56][57][58][59] . From an engineering education research perspective, this research will help us better understand why students are having difficulties in the course because we will better understand student misperceptions which Page 22.1464.10 also enhances our abilities to provide meaningful concept based experiences within collaborations, improve our ability to focus on troublesome student outcomes and provide additional scaffolding opportunities, and enhance inclusiveness in the classroom.…”

Section: Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The iCollaborate MSE Project

Kitto¹,

Jusak²

2011 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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Professor Kitto has served WWU for more than 20 years and has played a number of roles within the university including eight years as Chair of the Engineering Technology Department. She has been actively involved in the creation of an Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center (AMSEC) and their new minor in Materials Science at Western. She recently became the Director of AMSEC. She is also plays a role in the college's efforts to establish a technology and innovation center (TDC) in Bellingham. She was awarded an NSF ADVANCE Catalyst grant (along with co-PIs Norman and Guenter-Schlesinger) to promote the advancement, retention, recruitment of women in STEM disciplines at Western. In 2010, she received Western Washington University's Diversity Achievement Award, the highest honor for diversity achievements at WWU. Also in 2010, PIs Kitto and Jusak were awarded a CCLI grant to develop applications and modules for materials engineering and science education. She has published more than 50 papers and given presentations at numerous conferences, co-authored three text books, written an invited book chapter and several lab manuals. She is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Engineering Educators, the Materials Research Society and ASM International. Her primary research interests are in finite element analysis, acoustic properties of materials, and curriculum design for materials education.

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“…The transformation of our Introduction to Materials Engineering course includes many other important components, such as case studies, other active learning exercises, and, perhaps, most importantly concept questions. These components have been described elsewhere and will not be described here [14][15] . The basic purpose then of this paper is to more fully describe how materials engineering for musical instrument design has been incorporated into the course and the conceptual reasons for doing so.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sound Of Materials: Creating Excitement For Materials Engineering And Science In Engineering Technology Programs

Kitto

2007 Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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Previously, she was Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences and served as Chair of Engineering Technology Department from 1995-2002. Since arriving at Western Washington University in 1988, her primary teaching assignments have been in the Manufacturing Engineering Technology program and in the development of the communication skills of engineering technology students; her research interests have been in the materials science of musical instruments, development of concurrent engineering curricula, development of devices for the differently-abled and in finite element analysis of complex components. She is keenly interested in enhancing the diversity of the students studying in the sciences, mathematics and technology. She received both her MS and BS degrees from the University of Montana/Montana Tech and previously worked for many years in industry primarily developing instrumentation systems and advanced materials.

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Perspectives from the Classroom - Developing Effective Concept Questions and Collaborative Learning for an Introductory Materials Engineering Course

Cited by 10 publications

References 9 publications

Analyzing what students write about materials — Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

Analyzing what students write about materials — Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

The iCollaborate MSE Project

The Sound Of Materials: Creating Excitement For Materials Engineering And Science In Engineering Technology Programs

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Perspectives from the Classroom - Developing Effective Concept Questions and Collaborative Learning for an Introductory Materials Engineering Course

Cited by 10 publications

References 9 publications

Analyzing what students write about materials &#x2014; Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

Analyzing what students write about materials &#x2014; Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

The iCollaborate MSE Project

The Sound Of Materials: Creating Excitement For Materials Engineering And Science In Engineering Technology Programs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Analyzing what students write about materials — Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course

Analyzing what students write about materials — Another strategy for developing conceptual knowledge in a materials engineering course