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Exploring Making-based Pedagogy in Undergraduate Mezzanine-level Engineering Courses
Conference proceeding   Open access

Exploring Making-based Pedagogy in Undergraduate Mezzanine-level Engineering Courses

Michael Sheppard, Shawn Jordan, Micah Lande and Ann McKenna
2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (Salt Lake City, Utah, 06/23/2018–06/27/2018)
06/23/2018
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--30492
url
https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--30492View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

This paper is a Work in Progress (WIP). Techniques of engagement and knowledge transfer in the world of engineering education are constantly evolving to meet higher academic expectations of students to solve problems beyond the classroom context. One such evolution is the introduction and utilization of the Maker culture into engineering curricula. Makers brand a modern culture encompassing, but not limited to students and entrepreneurs that are technology-driven toward the creation of physical objects or software to gain a better understanding of engineering properties, concepts, and practical problem-solving skills. This work in progress paper attempts to better understand how the Making culture has become interwoven into the fabric of engineering curricula, the effectiveness of Making as a pedagogical technique, and the influences Making-based pedagogy has on student learning. In investigating this pedagogical phenomenon, we utilize a case study approach of three mezzanine engineering courses at a large southwestern university. These courses were selected to reflect three distinct required subject areas that fall within the mezzanine. Our protocol included data collection to explore how each of the faculty members teaching the courses define what Making means to them and how it is utilized in their classroom. Our case study includes data collection through interviews, observations, and documents. A multiple case study analysis was conducted, with the unit of analysis being a single course. Preliminary analysis of the interview data reveals that faculty members have differing opinions of what Making is and how to most effectively apply it within their individual courses. Early results indicate that this is a positive finding, meaning that making can be instantiated in a classroom setting in a variety of ways. Evidence of Making in the engineering curricula is palpable and embeds aspects of engaged and active learning, “building” something to represent concepts as well as connecting to students’ interest. The paper will include a review of the literature that guides this work, an overview of the study design, insights from the data analysis, and a discussion of future work.
 Classrooms Colleges & universities Curricula Data analysis Data collection Engineering Engineering education Knowledge management Learning Literature reviews Pedagogy Problem solving Students Workflow

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