2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Classroom demonstrations have been shown to enhance student learning retention by providing greater intellectual stimulation when compared to lecture-only presentations. [Bradford 2000, Klosky 2002, Morgan 2007] Yet, comparatively little research has been conducted to determine the presentation type and style that is most effective in pedagogical demonstrations. This investigation builds upon previous work which counterintuitively found that crudely-built demonstrations devices tend to confer greater learning retention than similar professionally built devices. [Squire 2009] Specifically, we sought to determine how preference for crudely vs. professionally-built demonstrations changed with academic maturity. The current study employed a larger population of students pursuing an undergraduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in a two by two grid of experimental groups. The rows refer to whether the students were in their freshman or sophomore years, and the columns refer to whether the students were taught using the crudely-built or professionally-built demonstrations. The results of the investigation revealed that both year groups experienced greater learning retention when the low-cost, homemade demonstrator was employed when compared to the professionally manufactured demonstrator. The results also show no significant difference in learning retention between year groups.