Assessment of retention where students create and teach laboratory experiments through a capstone project

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to improve student retention of their engineering mechanics education with a teaching/learning strategy implemented in their capstone design project class. There are many quotes from great historians and current educators about the process of teaching and the benefits of learning. One effective method comes from the simple Latin Proverb "We learn by teaching". This process of learning from teaching is also associated with Kolb's experiential learning cycle.1 Kolb's methods of learning were implemented in a senior capstone design class where student learning is assessed. The capstone students are required to identify an educational need within the mechanical engineering technology program. This need is discussed with the faculty for the development of a hands-on laboratory instrument that will facilitate learning in the program. The results from these discussions determine the design requirements for the capstone project. These capstone students must also learn the design process that has milestones with deliverables associated with a Gantt chart and work breakdown structure. They must also develop an instructional lab with a series of questions that helps reinforce the theory taught in the classroom. And finally, they are required to teach this lab to their peers. The design premise/requirement for the capstone students is that they must incorporate at least three core areas of the curriculum into their team project. This will provide future implementation of the lab to different areas of study with the engineering technology programs. The areas of study for this lab apparatus in this paper include measurements and instrumentations with LabView, strength of materials, heat transfer and material behavior. The assessment included in the final paper is twofold. The capstone students are assessed in the area of retention of fundamental core knowledge upon graduation. The assessment tool was a comprehensive exam similar to the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. Undergraduate student learning utilizing student labs was also assessed through a performance-based assessment method. This consisted of a survey that evaluates student learning for the undergraduate students. Both assessments indicated positive results for retention of core knowledge in the senior capstone class and student learning through hands-on laboratories taught to freshmen and sophomore students.