Integrating problem-based and project-based learning in large enrollment freshman engineering courses

Abstract

This paper reports on the integration of problem-based and project-based learning opportunities conducted for over a decade with large enrollment classes of chemical (and since the fall 2015 semester) petroleum engineering freshmen. A primary objective of the first-year experience in our School is to provide a solid foundation in basic engineering principles and applications associated with our degree programs through problem-based and project-based learning activities. The approach taken is a blending of directed problem-solving activities in a collaborative learning environment coupled with Team Challenges through which groups of four freshmen engineering students engage in actively constructing systems for solving practical engineering problems. This approach brings to students a vibrant, interactive approach to learning about chemical and petroleum engineering fundamentals at a time when individual anticipation (and anxiety) about studying engineering is perhaps at its highest. Offered in a two-day per week format, course activities are structured to engage students in problem-solving strategies one day per week with the hands-on Team Challenges the second day each week. Significant course content and mentoring is provided outside of class in a "flippedclassroom" style. By assembling and testing a variety of simple engineering systems, students learn about engineering applications of math and science principles. Examples of systems studied include the development of a centrifugal pump curve using a simple, inexpensive apparatus; investigating level-control for continuous flow into and out of a small tank using LEGO NXT™ controllers/sensors; evaluating performance of a double-pipe heat exchanger using Vernier™ meters and sensors; and assessing performance of a simple wind turbine as a function of changes in various parameters such as blade design, wind speed, etc. Individual students are provided an opportunity to quickly build relationships and skills for teamwork, leadership and collaboration along with gaining an understanding of designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and contextualizing the meaning of the work within a broader focus on the practice of engineering. Student enrollment in the two semester course sequence has grown significantly over the years since its inception in 2006 from an enrollment between 30-40 students each semester to a high of 173 in the fall 2015 semester. The evolution of the course and adaptations for large student enrollment is discussed.