Performance-Based Learning: An Innovative Approach to Teaching Engineering Thermodynamics in a Hybrid Learning Environment

Abstract

A cost-effective, secure, and portable electronic instrumentation equipment is used in Experiment Centric Pedagogy (ECP), formerly known as Mobile Hands-On Studio Technology and Pedagogy, as a teaching method for STEM subjects both inside and outside of the classroom. Since the Spring of 2020, ECP has been integrated into two Industrial Engineering (IE) courses: Thermodynamics and Materials Engineering. This has been done in various ways, including through student use at home and in-class demonstrations and teaching labs. During the most recent academic session (Fall 2021-Spring 2022), the effects of practical home-based experimentation and lab activities on students' attitudes, interests, and performance were examined for the Engineering Thermodynamics course. The outcomes of a survey known as the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaires (MLSQ), which was given to 51 students, demonstrated better improvements in the student's motivation, epistemic, and perceptual curiosity, three crucial characteristics linked to their success. Along with the MLSQ, the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate Students (COPUS) assesses active learning in Industrial Engineering courses, and quantitative and qualitative data on the significant components of student achievement were gathered. Results obtained show that using ECP has improved students' awareness of material properties and increased their interest in learning about the thermodynamics concept of heat transfer in connection to various solid materials.