Abstract:

Standard lecture-based university instruction in science and engineering is only moderately successful at improving students’ conceptual understanding. While students may grow significantly in procedural knowledge, correctly solving problems and manipulating equations, students are typically less successful at explaining why those equations apply and recognizing where the ideas expressed in those equations apply elsewhere. This conceptual understanding is one of the hallmarks of expert-level grasp of the material, something faculty desire to foster in their students. But if lectures are ineffective at cultivating this understanding, what is better?

In this work, we build upon the Workshop Physics Group’s success in creating inquiry-based learning activities (IBLAs), short, concept-based experiments which challenge students’ misconceptions about concepts in engineering heat transfer and thermodynamics. These IBLAs are significantly more successful at cultivating students’ conceptual understanding than is standard instruction, as demonstrated through the Heat and Energy Concept Inventory (HECI) and the Concept Inventory for Engineering Thermodynamics (CIET).

In addition to studying the effect of IBLA experiments on students’ conceptual understanding, we re-created the experiments in two areas within heat transfer as simulations and demonstrations as well as experiments. While less impactful than the original experiments, these implementations are significantly easier for faculty to use and continue to provide a greater improvement in conceptual understanding than traditional instruction. We invite instructors to make free use of any of these implementations of the IBLAs and the concept inventories, all of which are shared for free access through the web-based AIChE Concept Warehouse.

Keywords:

Conceptual learning, simulation, laboratory, IBLA.