Diffusion of mobile, hands-on teaching and learning in Puerto Rico: First year results

Abstract

This paper discusses the first year results of an initiative to diffuse mobile, hands-on teaching and learning in all five engineering schools in Puerto Rico. The effort addresses engineering courses that have an electrical/electronic circuits component such as electrical networks, electronics, experimental methods, and mechanical vibrations. This effort relies on constructivist methodologies which are based on the widely accepted principle that students construct their own versions of reality rather than simply absorbing versions presented by their teachers. The Analog Discovery Board, essentially a circuits laboratory that fits in the palm of one's hand, is used as the medium to explore course concepts. Two NSF-funded faculty workshops in Puerto Rico serve as the primary means for diffusing the innovation. The first workshop was conducted at Universidad del Turabo in February 2015. The workshop introduced the board and parts kit to 16 participating faculty members from four of the five engineering schools in Puerto Rico. The workshop also provided pedagogical materials that have already been developed for some courses, including videos that can be used in a flipped classroom environment. The workshop was rated as "excellent" with an average score of 4.9 on a scale of 1 to 5. By the end of the first workshop, each faculty participant was ready to immediately start exploring mobile hands-on learning in their classrooms. Twenty Analog Discovery boards and parts kits were handed out to each participating institution to seed the diffusion effort. Results of a survey are presented in the paper. The results include diffusion rates as measured by the number of class sessions the board was used divided by the total number of class sessions held after the workshop. It also includes comments by the faculty that describe how the innovation was used in the classroom, comments on what held them back from implementing the board more often in their courses, what they liked best and least regarding the entire experience, a list of additional comments, and ideas for a future proposal. The participants are interested and motivated to continue working as a group to advance this innovation in Puerto Rico.