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Session 3431

A Model-Driven Multi-Year Assessment of a Software Development Project for Engineering Instruction

Richard H. Hall, Timothy A. Philpot, Nancy Hubing, Ralph E. Flori, and Vikas Yellamraju

University of Missouri – Rolla

1. Abstract

This paper is a review of a series of evaluation studies that were utilized to inform and evaluate a large scale instructional software development project at the university of Missouri – Rolla entitled “Taking the Next Step in Engineering Education: Integrating Educational Software and Active Learning.” This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE), and was carried out over the last four years. The assessment was carried out under the auspices of UMR’s Laboratory for Information Technology Evaluation (LITE), and guided by the LITE model for evaluation of learning technologies. The fundamental premise of the model is that evaluation should consist of the triangulation of multiple research methodologies and measurement tools. Five representative evaluation studies, consisting of eight experiments, are presented here. The studies range from initial research consisting of basic experimentation and usability testing; to applied research conducted within the class room; to a large multi-nation cross-cultural applied-dissemination survey conducted during the last semester of the project. The results indicate that the instructional multimedia developed in this project can have a substantial positive impact in enhancing fundamental engineering classes. Further, the research also indicates that the LITE model can be an effective tool for guiding a comprehensive evaluation program.

2. “Taking the Next Step in Engineering Education” Project

The University of Missouri–Rolla (UMR) recently completed a comprehensive three-year project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s FIPSE program [1-5] entitled “Taking the Next Step in Engineering Education: Integrating Educational Software and Active Learning” (#P116B000100). The project focused on enhancing learning in three core engineering courses—Statics, Dynamics and Mechanics of Materials—through the development and implementation of a suite of animated and interactive courseware modules. More than 250 computer-based instructional examples, problems, games, and theory modules and an extensive homework database administration system were developed. Examples of many of these modules are available at http://www.umr.edu/~bestmech.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Yellamaraju, V., & Hall, R., & Hubing, N., & Flori, R., & Philpot, T. (2004, June), A Model Driven Multiyear Assessment Of A Software Development Project For Engineering Instruction Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13142