In previous work, we documented that inquiry-based activities could be very effective tools for misconception repair in heat transfer and thermodynamics. However, since many courses in the engineering core do not have laboratory sections, or are very large, it is challenging for many instructors to adopt these activities. Instructors may modify the activities to adapt them to their context, but in that case, the effectiveness of the activities as educational tools is unknown. Our goals in the current work are to first, create versions (modes) of the activities that are easier to use and assess their educational effectiveness. To what extent does delivery mode impact conceptual learning? Our second goal is to share all modes of all activities, with sufficient information that faculty can make good choices about their adoption, and learn which factors are most important for faculty adoption.
The first two tasks towards these goals, creation of multiple modes for each activity, assessing each mode’s educational effectiveness, have been completed. Each activity comes in five modes – as an experiment conducted by student groups, as an experiment demonstrated by an instructor, as a simulation used by students, as a simulation demonstrated by the faculty, and as a thought experiment. For each of these activities / modes, we have compiled effectiveness data and ease of use information. In the third and final phase of this work, we now are sharing all modalities of these activities as downloadable packets/online assignments through the AIChE Concept Warehouse. This final phase of the project focuses on tracking faculty adoption and the factors (effectiveness, ease) that impact their adoption.
We invite instructors teaching heat transfer to log in to the Concept Warehouse and use the activities for free in class and let us know what you think of them.
Margot Vigeant is a professor of chemical engineering at Bucknell University. She earned her B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University, and her M.S. and Ph.D., also in chemical engineering, from the University of Virginia. Her primary researc
Dr. Michael Prince is a professor of chemical engineering at Bucknell University and co-director of the National Effective Teaching Institute. His research examines a range of engineering education topics, including how to assess and repair student misco
Dr. Nottis is an Educational Psychologist and Professor Emeritus of Education at Bucknell University. Her research has focused on meaningful learning in science and engineering education, approached from the perspective of Human Constructivism. She has authored several publications and given numerous presentations on the generation of analogies, misconceptions, and facilitating learning in science and engineering education. She has been involved in collaborative research projects focused on conceptual learning in chemistry, chemical engineering, seismology, and astronomy.
Milo Koretsky is the McDonnell Family Bridge Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and in the Department of Education at Tufts University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from UC San Diego and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley,
Thomas Ekstedt is a software developer in the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University. He is involved in the development of technology-based educational systems, particularly in the areas of concept-based instruction and interactive simulation of physical phenomena.
Are you a researcher? Would you like to cite this paper? Visit the ASEE document repository at peer.asee.org for more tools and easy citations.