Collaborative Research: Using Low Cost Desktop Learning Modules to Educate Diverse Undergraduate Communities in Engineering

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This project is a collaboration between Washington State University and Campbell University that aims to create more experiential, effective, and engaging hands-on interactive learning environments for educating engineers. The project will develop lab units called Desktop Learning Modules, which are hands-on miniaturized equipment representing real industrial processes. They are portable, can be used outside of class, and significantly assist students in learning about fluid mechanics and heat transfer, both of which are fundamental transport concepts in engineering. The goal of the project is to transform teaching and learning in foundational engineering courses through national dissemination of fluid mechanics and heat transfer Desktop Learning Modules. Training workshops and community development will be provided through five regional hubs to be established to help disseminate the Desktop Learning Module approach.Prior use of hydraulics Desktop Learning Modules have shown that 70% of students achieved competency on concepts tested, on average, compared to 39% in control groups. Also, in fluid mechanics, participants have shown significant learning gains. In preliminary studies, the transferability of Desktop Learning Modules to other institutions has been demonstrated. For example, after using a Desktop Learning Module, the University of Kentucky observed a 50-100% improvement in post-tests on topics such as hydraulic loss. In this project, a mixed methods research study will be used to test the hypothesis that definitive changes can occur in student learning and interest when Desktop Learning Modules are used in a team-oriented, hands-on learning environment. A faculty support framework will be used to foster changes in engagement with the novel pedagogy, thus enhancing instructor ease of adoption and implementation. It is expected that the project will have significant impact on the learning of difficult engineering concepts and increase diversity in engineering by accommodating of a range of student abilities and learning preferences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.