Using Inquiry-Based Activities to Promote Understanding of Critical Engineering Concepts

这个概念验证项目正在开发以探究为基础的教育材料，以促进对关键工程概念的理解。这种方法的有效性已经被成千上万的物理学本科生广泛地记录下来。然而，到目前为止，以探究为基础的活动还没有系统地用于工程教育。这个项目试图填补这一空白。在这个概念证明阶段，这项工作是针对两个学生误解有关传热和热力学。讨论的具体概念是(1)温度、热量和能量之间的关系以及(2)熵。解决学生对这些领域误解的教育材料正在开发中，并将通过巴克内尔大学化学工程专业学生两年的测试来完善。最后的教材将包括一份以探究为基础的活动的指导手册、补充教学辅助工具和可靠的评估工具。原型材料的有效性将通过先前NSF资助（DUE 0127806）开发的概念清单进行评估。如果为两个目标工程概念开发的原型教材证明是有效的，今后的工作将扩大类似模块的开发、评估和传播，旨在解决更广泛的关键工程概念。

This proof of concept project is developing inquiry-based educational materials to promote understanding of critical engineering concepts. The effectiveness of this approach has been extensively documented using thousands of undergraduate physics students. As of yet, however, inquiry-based activities have not been systematically developed for engineering education. This project seeks to fill that gap. In this proof of concept phase, the work is targeting two student misconceptions related to heat transfer and thermodynamics. The specific concepts being addressed are (1) the relationship among temperature, heat and energy and (2) entropy. Educational materials to address student misconceptions in these areas are being developed and will be refined through two years of testing with chemical engineering students at Bucknell University. The final educational materials will include an instruction manual with inquiry based activities, supplementary instructional aids and reliable assessment tools. The effectiveness of the prototype materials will be assessed using concept inventories developed through previous NSF funding (DUE 0127806). If the prototype educational materials developed for the two targeted engineering concepts prove effective, future work will expand the development, assessment and dissemination of similar modules designed to address a broader range of critical engineering concepts.