Engineering thermodynamics in the 21st century - Active learning by human body thermodynamics

Abstract

A new project on human body thermodynamics was developed and used in traditional engineering thermodynamics courses. The aim was to increase student motivation and learning by making the students more active and in charge of their learning, and to widen the application of thermodynamics outside the engineering field. The students and teachers experiences were investigated using a combination of questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the students were relatively satisfied with the project, although there was a relatively large spreading in the group. The teachers noticed a clear difference regarding the questions asked and the discussions that took place when comparing the roject with traditional lessons/lectures. Altogether, the project was found to have benefits from both motivation and learning perspectives. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.