Conference Session

New Teaching Methods in Mechanics

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University; Edward J. Berger, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

address topical areas as part of an NSF-funded project. One of these focused on Statics and Dynamics; 24 instructors from research-based, community colleges, and MS granting institutions participated in the Mechanics VCP.The VCP was centered on aligning the classroom around teaching objectives, classroomactivities, and assessment and utilized the How Learning Works framework for discussions.Topics included Bloom’s taxonomy and writing learning objectives, active learning strategies,collaborative learning, conceptual understanding, hands-on activities, and flipping the classroom.An initial 8 week period introduced these topics and helped the instructors formulate their plansfor the upcoming term, and a follow-on period is currently underway to

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James M. Widmann, California Polytechnic State University; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University; Michael J. Prince, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

studentreflections. Next, using videotape and peer prompting, the authors developed and collected averbal protocol from individual Dynamics students as they worked through the activity using a“talk aloud” approach. Based on analysis of the videotaped transcripts a better understanding ofthe sources of misconceptions was identified and further refinements to the IBLA are beingmade. The paper contains the IBLA along with suggestions for implementation andimprovements.Introduction and BackgroundIt is well documented that students enter the classroom with deeply rooted misconceptions.1-3This is especially true in STEM disciplines, where the literature contains thousands of studies ofstudents’ lack of conceptual understanding.4 The importance of conceptual

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brianno Coller, Northern Illinois University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

,they may implement it through an interface called the SpuPilot. Below, I provide a briefoverview of the interface so that when I present logs of student work, later in the article, thereader can understand what they are doing. Figure 6. GUI where students write mathematical equations for the thrust signal.One of the windows in the SpuPilot provides a graphical user interface (GUI) where students can Page 24.851.8write mathematical equations for the thrust signal to be sent to the spuCraft. See Figure 6.Variables that students can use to write their equations are: m, the spuCraft mass; mFeet, themass of only the feet of the spuCraft

Conference Session

Teaching Statics

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devin R. Berg, University of Wisconsin - Stout

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

and potentially improves course performance 6,7 . While the literature on the use of of Twitterin the classroom is emerging, recent studies have found the platform functional for promotingconcise expression of ideas, critical reading and writing skills, stronger student-teacherrelationships, self-learning in an informal environment, and accountability among other benefits.Conversely, using Twitter in the classroom has potential disadvantages such as distracting Page 24.550.3content, overly constraining character limitations, and privacy concerns 8 . Each of these itemsmust be considered when assessing the use of Twitter in the classroom and

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew West, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Geoffrey L. Herman, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

model instructor Table 1: Timetable of reform development, implementation, and planned future work for the three courses Introductory Dynamics, Introductory Solid Mechanics, and Introductory Statics. Work in 2014 is planned, while work prior to 2014 is completed at the time of writing. See Table 2 for a list of specific reforms.pedagogies as faculty teach different content, do not collect data, or resist the implications of datathat they did not collect. By creating joint course ownership, faculty are able to participate in animplement-evaluate development cycle. This cycle begins by identifying areas for improvement.Then faculty implement targeted reforms and evaluate whether these reforms produce

Conference Session

New Teaching Pedagogies: Methods and Assessments

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benjamin W. Caldwell, LeTourneau University; Colleen M. Halupa, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics

cumbersome, one student (14%) thought it was very cumbersome and57% had no problem submitting handwritten homework. For those that did have problems, itwas because they did not have a smartphone or scanner available to them at all times since some Page 24.86.9also were on vacation. One student had some trouble because he had a broken arm and had tohave his mother write out his assignments. All of the students (100%) noted the professor wasflexible and accommodating regarding this issue.Students were required to take their tests online in the Blackboard LMS and enter final answersonly. This test was timed to ensure academic honesty. Immediately