Promoting Second-year Engineering Students’ Epistemic Beliefs and Real-world Problem-solving Abilities through Case-Based E-Learning Resources
- Conference
- Location
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San Antonio, Texas
- Publication Date
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June 10, 2012
- Start Date
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June 10, 2012
- End Date
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June 13, 2012
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Topic
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NSF Grantees Poster Session
- Page Count
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11
- Page Numbers
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25.1086.1 - 25.1086.11
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--21843
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/21843
- Download Count
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376
Paper Authors
Ikseon Choi
University of Georgia
orcid.org/0000-0001-8005-1649
Ikseon (Ike) Choi is an Associate Professor of learning, design, and technology in the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia, where he teaches learning theories, learning environments design, and program evaluation courses. Since receiving his Ph.D. at Penn State University, he has been leading a series of research and development projects for case-based e-learning environments and real-world problem solving in both higher education and corporate settings. Through his multidisciplinary collaborations with leading scholars in the areas of agricultural science, human medicine, veterinary medicine, teacher education, and engineering, he investigates effective ways of promoting and evaluating the development of learners’ real-world problem solving abilities. His research has been acknowledged by receiving the Outstanding Practices Awards from the Association of Educational Communications and Technology in 2005 and in 2007, respectively. He has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences, including E-Learn and Global HR Forum, and at various universities around the globe.
Yi-Chun Hong National Central University
Yi-Chun Hong is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Graduate Institute of Network Learning Technology at National Central University in Taiwan. Her research interests include reflective thinking, learning environments design, engineering design problems, ill-structured problem solving, and game-based learning in formal education.
David K. Gattie University of Georgia
Nadia N. Kellam University of Georgia
Nadia Kellam is an Assistant Professor and engineering educational researcher in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Georgia. She is Co-director of the CLUSTER research group with faculty members from engineering, art, and educational psychology. Her research interests include interdisciplinarity, creativity, identity formation, and the role of emotion in cognition.
Melissa G. Gay University of Georgia
Melissa Gay is a doctoral student in the Learning, Design, and Technology program at the University of Georgia. She has a M.Ed. in instructional design and development and a B.A. in communication. Her research interests include instructional message design, visual literacy, and aesthetics.
Lucas John Jensen University of Georgia
Lucas Jensen is a third-year doctoral student in the Learning, Design, and Technology program in the Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology. His research interests are Web 2.0, motivation, and gaming, among others. He is the Co-director of the GameWerks video game-based summer youth program.
Hyojin Park University of Georgia
Hyojin Park is a doctoral student pursuing a degree in learning, design, and technology at the University of Georgia. She obtained a master's degree in educational technology from Korea. Her research interests are mobile-based learning, real-world problem solving, and scaffolding.
YounSeok Lee University of Georgia
Younseok Lee is a doctoral student in the Learning, Design, and Technology program at the University of Georgia. He holds a B.S. in electronic engineering and information technology and an M.S. in computer science with an emphasis in computer graphics. He worked for the Mobile S/W company for five years as a mobile S/W programmer and Project Manager. His specialty is Android platform customizing and mobile GUI development. Currently, his research interest is in knowledge management and mobile devices assisted learning environment on real world problem solving domain.
Abstract
Promoting Second-Year Engineering Students’Epistemic Beliefs and Real-World Problem Solving Abilities through a Case-Based E-Learning ResourcesThe goal of this project is to design, develop, and validate an innovative pedagogical model anda case-based e-learning module that could promote the development of sophomore engineeringstudents’ epistemic beliefs (one’s beliefs about knowledge, knowing, and learning) and thusenhance their real-world problem solving abilities. An empirically validated, reusable case-basede-learning module (see Figure 1) for environmental engineering will be the outcome of thisproject.Students’ changes in their real-world problem solving abilities and their epistemic beliefs will bethe major factors which will determine the effectiveness of this case-based e-learning module.Students’ written responses to given real-world engineering design problems and anepistemological beliefs questionnaire are the primary data sources for the evaluation. In addition,students’ perceived learning experiences with the e-learning module, reflected on a givenquestionnaire, are being used as the secondary data source.To evaluate the effectiveness of this case-based e-learning module, the module was implementedfor a two-week period in a sophomore engineering class during the spring semester in 2010 (apilot study), and it has been implemented again in the Spring of 2011 for eight weeks (a majorstudy). The epistemic beliefs questionnaire and an engineering design problem test wereemployed before and after implementation, respectively. During the case-based learningactivities, students were asked to respond to a series of questions related to how they assess thesituation and how they approach dealing with the given situation. We will evaluate theprogression of students’ responses to ill-defined engineering problems and the changes in theirepistemic beliefs.The preliminary results, collected from the pilot study (a formative evaluation), found there wereno effects from our e-learning module on students’ problem solving abilities and epistemicbeliefs. This formative evaluation, however, provided us with the following five majorrecommendations for the revision of the e-learning module and its implementation strategies:• The learning resources should be streamlined. In particular, the video clips should be shorter without losing the main storyline.• More time should be given to the students for the case-learning activities. Instead of two weeks, four to eight weeks may be more realistic in order to maximize the current learning resources for students’ benefit.• In-class discussions for the case learning should be combined with the independent e- learning activities. Many students suggested that having in-class discussions would facilitate their learning with the e-learning module.• The last few weeks of the semester should be avoided for these time-consuming learning activities unless this activity is assigned as part of a final project. Earlier in the semester would be a more appropriate time.• The second phase of the interface in the e-learning module should be redesigned and the technical error in it should be fixed.We are currently analyzing the data collected from the major study with the revised module andpedagogical strategies. Figure1. Four Learning PhasesKey ReferencesHofer, B. & Pintrich, P. (2002). Personal epistemology: The psychology of beliefs about knowledge and knowing. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Jonassen, D. H. (1997). Instructional design models for well-structured and ill-structured problem-solving learning outcomes. Educational Technology Research and Development, 45(1), 65-94.Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Toward a design theory of problem solving. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(4), 63-85.Kitchener, K. S., (1983). Cognition, metacognition, and epistemic cognition: A three-level model of cognitive processing. Human Development, 4, 222-232.Moore, W. S. (2002). Understanding learning in a postmodern world: Reconsidering the Perry scheme of intellectual and ethical development. In B. K. Hofer & P. R. Pintrich (Eds.), Personal Epistemology: The Psychology of Beliefs about Knowledge and Knowing (pp. 17-36). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Perry, W. G. (1968/1999). Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College years: A Scheme. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Shin, N., Jonassen, D. H., & MaGee, S. (2003). Predictors of well-structured and ill-structured problem solving in an astronomy simulation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(1), 7-27.Schraw, G., Dunkle, M. E., & Bendixen, L. D. (1995). Cognitive processes in well-defined and ill-defined problem solving. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 9, 1-16.
Choi, I., & Hong, Y., & Gattie, D. K., & Kellam, N. N., & Gay, M. G., & Jensen, L. J., & Park, H., & Lee, Y. (2012, June), Promoting Second-year Engineering Students’ Epistemic Beliefs and Real-world Problem-solving Abilities through Case-Based E-Learning Resources Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21843
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