Aerospace Engineering is Still Cool: Active Learning, Effective Teaching Techniques

Adeel Khalid

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Publication Date: June 10, 2012
Start Date: June 10, 2012
End Date: June 13, 2012
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Aerospace Technical Session
Tagged Division: Aerospace
Page Count: 14
Page Numbers: 25.139.1 - 25.139.14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--20899
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/20899
Download Count: 414

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Adeel Khalid Southern Polytechnic State University

visit author page

Adeel Khalid, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Systems Engineering Program, Division of Engineering, Q-349, Southern Polytechnic State University, 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060; Office: 678-915-7241; Fax: 678-915-5527; Web: http://www.spsu.edu/systemseng/adeel_khalid.htm; http://www.spsu.edu/aerospace/.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Aerospace Engineering is still cool - Active Learning, Effective Teaching TechniquesAbstractThe focus of this research is to identify a few key students centered active learning techniquesthat are applicable in core aerospace engineering classes. Aerospace engineering, althoughattracts some of the brightest minds, is still a demanding and hard discipline to study. Most of thestudents who enter the discipline do it because they are interested and get fascinated by flyingobjects. Yet, at some of the major universities across the country, the dropout rate in theundergraduate aerospace engineering classes is higher than other disciplines. Besides thediscipline being hard to understand and study, another reason that high dropout rate can beattributed to is the lack of student centered active learning techniques used in the aerospaceengineering classes. In this paper, the author investigates some of the techniques andmethodologies used in other engineering and especially non-engineering disciplines that can beborrowed and applied to aerospace engineering. There have been numerous efforts [1] in variousdisciplines where college and university professors have been challenged to develop instructionalmethods that transform students from passive listeners to active learners. In the author’sexperience, introducing such techniques in a highly conceptual and mathematically intensiveaerospace class is ‘easier said than done.’Active learning is in short, anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passivelylistening to an instructor’s lecture. This includes everything from listening practices which helpthe students to absorb what they hear, to short writing exercises in which students react to lecturematerial, to complex group exercises in which students apply course material to ‘real life’situations and / or to new problems [2]. Some of the active learning techniques explored in thisresearch include brainstorming, think-pair-share, thumbs up / thumbs down response tostatement, pause procedure, group discussions, guided lectures, students work a problem thenevaluate each other’s work, responsive lectures, use of props, muddiest point, puzzles /paradoxes, discussions, work on the blackboard, games etc.In this paper, the low and high risk active learning strategies, specific to aerospace engineeringclasses are explored. The importance of active learning is emphasized. Some of the obstacles andbarriers that prevent faculty from using active learning strategies are discovered and theirremedies are explored.References: 1. Bonwell, C. Charles, ‘Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom,’ Active learning workshops, www.active-learning-site.com. Last visited, 10/4/11 2. Paulson, R. Donald, Faust, L. Jennifer, ‘Active learning for college classroom,’ http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/LACTE/Index.html, Last updated 12/3/10

Citation
Format

Khalid, A. (2012, June), Aerospace Engineering is Still Cool: Active Learning, Effective Teaching Techniques Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--20899

TY - CPAPER
AB - Aerospace Engineering is still cool - Active Learning, Effective Teaching TechniquesAbstractThe focus of this research is to identify a few key students centered active learning techniquesthat are applicable in core aerospace engineering classes. Aerospace engineering, althoughattracts some of the brightest minds, is still a demanding and hard discipline to study. Most of thestudents who enter the discipline do it because they are interested and get fascinated by flyingobjects. Yet, at some of the major universities across the country, the dropout rate in theundergraduate aerospace engineering classes is higher than other disciplines. Besides thediscipline being hard to understand and study, another reason that high dropout rate can beattributed to is the lack of student centered active learning techniques used in the aerospaceengineering classes. In this paper, the author investigates some of the techniques andmethodologies used in other engineering and especially non-engineering disciplines that can beborrowed and applied to aerospace engineering. There have been numerous efforts [1] in variousdisciplines where college and university professors have been challenged to develop instructionalmethods that transform students from passive listeners to active learners. In the author’sexperience, introducing such techniques in a highly conceptual and mathematically intensiveaerospace class is ‘easier said than done.’Active learning is in short, anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passivelylistening to an instructor’s lecture. This includes everything from listening practices which helpthe students to absorb what they hear, to short writing exercises in which students react to lecturematerial, to complex group exercises in which students apply course material to ‘real life’situations and / or to new problems [2]. Some of the active learning techniques explored in thisresearch include brainstorming, think-pair-share, thumbs up / thumbs down response tostatement, pause procedure, group discussions, guided lectures, students work a problem thenevaluate each other’s work, responsive lectures, use of props, muddiest point, puzzles /paradoxes, discussions, work on the blackboard, games etc.In this paper, the low and high risk active learning strategies, specific to aerospace engineeringclasses are explored. The importance of active learning is emphasized. Some of the obstacles andbarriers that prevent faculty from using active learning strategies are discovered and theirremedies are explored.References: 1. Bonwell, C. Charles, ‘Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom,’ Active learning workshops, www.active-learning-site.com. Last visited, 10/4/11 2. Paulson, R. Donald, Faust, L. Jennifer, ‘Active learning for college classroom,’ http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/LACTE/Index.html, Last updated 12/3/10
AU - Adeel Khalid
CY - San Antonio, Texas
DA - 2012/06/10
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Aerospace Engineering is Still Cool: Active Learning, Effective Teaching Techniques
UR - https://peer.asee.org/20899
DO - 10.18260/1-2--20899
ER -